Welcome to Litsy!

Witty, thoughtful, introspective coming of age story set in Italy. Vero is an unreliable narrator, viewing the world around her and the lives of her family, friends, and self with a level of detachment that adds humour and at times heart ache. She freely admits to adjusting reality to fit into a narrative that proves more interesting for herself, and the result is a delightful, quick read where not much happens but it doesn't really matter.

“It was the first real goodbye in my life. To be perfectly honest, I'd been building up to that moment in my mind since the day we started going out. In fact, I think that was exactly why I'd started dating him in the first place: so we could leave each other. The thought that he'd be leaving the country soon ensured me a misery I could enjoy without the hassle of having to go out and find one myself.“

This is my first book from the #InternationalBooker longlist. It is a Dutch one so an easy one for me to purchase and read. It‘s a book about a brother and sister, identical twins. He commits suicide in his thirties. This is no spoiler, the book is about how, despite their closeness, she can‘t protect him from his depression, he can‘t protect her from missing him. It is a sad book, written lightly, which adds to the impact.

#ATY24 Title 6+ words

"Tea is the one medication that has no side effects."

#InternationalBooker

#WeeklyForecast 14/24

I am about to finish Soldier Sailor and have lined up three more books for this week because I‘ll have a long Easter weekend off work. I am looking forward to all three of these. Alex Finlay never disappoints, a J Robert Lennon is always a treat and the Dutch one (tagged) is from the #InternationalBooker longlist. If I‘ll finish them all I have more #womenprize books to choose from 😀

There‘s currently a kindle deal on this book (set in Naples during WWII) if anyone is interested? It‘s on the International Booker Prize longlist even though I said I wasn‘t going to look at any more longlists and I certainly wasn‘t going to buy any more. 🤦‍♀️ 😂 #internationalbooker

The #internationalbooker longlist has been announced today. I only read two so far, Kairos and The Details.
I feel a bit overwhelmed (not to say stressed) about all the books I want to read, with #LitsyToB24 and the #womenprize calling for my attention too!

Oh and my fulltime job 😂

Any recommendations of this longlist are very welcome!

#InternationalBooker list, though I don‘t typically read those titles, I am amazed at this slim character study!! Boulder is a woman who is more comfortable at sea, physically exhausted than contained in domesticity. She falls in love which changes her whole world. Then motherhood hits and everything changes. The way new motherhood is described from the non-birthing partner‘s perspective is phenomenal.

I had no idea what I was getting into when starting this book about 4 people living in an isolated French hamlet, each preparing the birthday of one of them in their own way.
But then two visitors arrive and the novel turns dark and tense. So well written, page-turning even, yet I didn‘t want to get to the end and find out how that would be. I will be thinking of this for a while! Thanks for the encouragement Sarah!
#CampToB #InternationalBooker

Tomorrow the winner of the #InternationalBooker Prize will be announced. I am wrong about the outcome no doubt, but this is the shortlist in the order I liked them best!
Number 1 to 4 I really liked, number 5 started out strong but didn‘t hold up, number 6 was not for me.