literaryCrew

Aprilly | Jane Abbott

Okay, I think this is mostly my April TBR. I‘m still considering a couple other readalongs/challenges but haven‘t made up my mind yet.🤷🏻‍♀️

Currently I‘m reading with #SundayBuddyRead #SheSaid #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR #LiteraryCrew #AuthorAMonth #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #RiseUpReads #Roll100 #FictionalTraveler #ThematicCozies #MonthlyNonFiction #JaneAustenThenAndNow #LSFBC #NaturalLitsy & 2 from my #AuldLangSpine list & a few more.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa, Soubhiville, TheBookHippie, JacqMac, Librarybelle, monalyisha, TheSpineView, Catsandbooks, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, julieclair, AllDebooks

TheBookHippie ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 3d

TheSpineView Lookin' good! 3d

Catsandbooks 👍🏼✊🏼🔥💖 3d

Librarybelle Nice!! 3d

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3d

51 likes5 comments

LitsyEvents

The Briar Club | Kate Quinn

Repost for @Librarybelle

April‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead features the latest the Kate Quinn. Read at your own pace, and discussion will take place on April 30th!

See original post at https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2852647

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 4d

33 likes1 comment

Librarybelle

The Briar Club | Kate Quinn

April‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead features the latest the Kate Quinn. Read at your own pace, and discussion will take place on April 30th!

mcctrish, DebinHawaii, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Prairiegirl_reading, BethM, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, Lkempf

Jerdencon Looking forward to this discussion! 6d

CatLass007 I‘m looking forward to this and a couple of other Kate Quinn books for #AuthorAMonth. 6d

DebinHawaii Yay! I‘m excited to read this one for this, #AuthorAMonth & #AuldLangSpine 🎉 6d

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Prairiegirl_reading I will do my best! I‘m looking forward to it. 😄 6d

Librarybelle Yay, @Jerdencon @CatLass007 @DebinHawaii @Prairiegirl_reading ! 6d

mcctrish Getting it out of my TBR 🎉🎉🎉🎉 6d

Sace I‘ve never read this author so I‘m excited about this! 6d

Librarybelle Yay, @mcctrish @Sace ! 6d

tpixie Yay! Next up on audio! After

The Paris Express

Librarybelle @tpixie Yay! I actually started The Paris Express and had to return it to the library without finishing it. Waiting for it to come back to me! 6d

Deblovestoread I started on audio yesterday. So far it‘s good 💜 5d

tpixie @Librarybelle I hate when that happens! 🚂 hopefully you will get it again soon! I‘m listening thru Libby, or I‘d mail you my book! 5d

tpixie @Deblovestoread great to hear! 5d

Liz_M @LitsyEvents 5d

Librarybelle That‘s great, @Deblovestoread ! 5d

Librarybelle @tpixie Thanks! I won‘t have too long of a wait, so that‘s good. 5d

tpixie @Librarybelle 🩵 🚂 🩵 5d

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julieclair

I Am Livia | Phyllis T. Smith

pick

This book was a fascinating glimpse into the constantly changing politics of Ancient Rome, from a female point of view. Livia was the wife and trusted advisor of the emperor Augustus. Although I didn‘t always agree with some of the choices she made, I couldn‘t help but admire the way she worked through the constraints placed upon her as a wealthy woman, to become a powerful, influential force for the good of the Roman people.

julieclair Great choice for #LiteraryCrew , @Librarybelle ! Thanks, as always, for hosting. 6d

julieclair #Pantone2025 #GardenGreen @Lauredhel 6d

Librarybelle Yay! And good match for Pantone! 6d

32 likes3 comments

Soubhiville

My Favorite Authors | Thomas Costley

Hi #AuthorAMonth readers! Tomorrow is April 1st, time to start on those Kate Quinn books. @CatLass007 wants you all to know several of her books are available for free on Audible if you use it.

Here‘s the link to the Google form if you‘d like to start keeping track of your reads for the drawings at the end of the year.

https://forms.gle/1F1BmkcTBh7uPXNp9

All the details are at the top of the form.

Happy reading! 📚❤️😁

Soubhiville @TheBookHippie @dabbe @CatLass007 @willaful @Jess @Eyelit @JenReadsAlot @BarkingMadRead @Laughterhp @TheSpineView @tdrosebud @Bookwormjillk @Melismatic 6d

Soubhiville @AllDebooks @Deblovestoread @Caroline2 @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @Skygoddess1 @JacqMac @Amiable @PurpleyPumpkin @vlwelser @DogMomIrene @Karisimo 6d

Soubhiville @Caryl @jhod @Andrew65 @tpixie @vonnie862 @MrsV @Sace @MemoirsForMe @Zuhkeeyah @SconsinBookyBadger @Read4life @staci.reads @DHill @Mimi28 6d

See All 17 Comments

Soubhiville @inthegreensandblues @Larkken @gossamerchild @peanutnine @Yenya1954 @anishainkspill @dariazeoli @BarkingMadRead @CoffeeNBooks @Jess861 @julieclair @Teresereading 6d

Soubhiville @Bklover @Singout @jhod @DebinHawaii @Gissy @Amor4Libros 6d

CatLass007 Thank you!❤️ 6d

CatLass007 I‘d like to say that this year‘s lineup of authors is top notch! 6d

TheSpineView 😎 🤩📖 6d

tpixie Thanks! 6d

Bookwormjillk Looking forward to this month. 6d

Sace Looking forward to it! I love that this month‘s author coincides with the #LiteraryCrew selection! 6d

dariazeoli Yay! Time for

The Briar Club

AmyG I am listening to The Briar‘s Club….enjoying it. 6d

Andrew65 @AmyG I‘m waiting to start this. 6d

julieclair @CatLass007 Thanks for the heads up about Audible! I‘ve downloaded Books 1&2. 😀 4d

CatLass007 @julieclair You‘re welcome. It‘s great that you‘re going to be listening to them. 4d

56 likes17 comments

Librarybelle

I Am Livia | Phyllis T. Smith

It‘s time for our #LiteraryCrew discussion! And sorry everyone…I really fizzled out on this. I also really struggled with the book‘s writing, so there are only 4 questions posted. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag.

Next month‘s #BuddyRead is The Briar Club. Reminder will be posted tomorrow!

mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Karisa, bumpinthenight, julieclair, AllDebooks, Lkempf

CatLass007 Oh goodness. It‘s the end of the month already. I had to start this one twice but once I started it the second time I enjoyed it. It sounds like you didn‘t enjoy it so much. How are the kitties? And how are you? (edited) 7d

Deblovestoread I tried to read this last year and fully intended to try again for LC but it never happened. Sorry! 7d

tpixie Sadly I didn‘t get to it either, but it looks very interesting. I just put too much in my plate- I‘ve been doing heavy research into Barbara Newhall Follett (still only 1/4 way thru 600 pages of letters ) before reading

The Story She Left Behind: A Novel

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Karisa I tried but couldn‘t get into it either. It sounded like it would be something I‘d like too😬 7d

Librarybelle @CatLass007 Maybe it‘s the timing right now, but I just did not connect with it. Oh well! Zeke is okay at the moment, but he‘s refusing the food he needs to eat for his GI issues. Sigh…I‘m tired but hanging in there. Thanks for asking! 7d

Librarybelle I‘m really looking forward to next month‘s, @Deblovestoread @tpixie @Karisa ! 7d

CatLass007 ❤️ You are so appreciated!! 7d

Librarybelle Thanks @CatLass007 ! ❤️ 7d

CatLass007 Lots of prayers and good thoughts going out to you. 7d

Librarybelle @CatLass007 ❤️❤️❤️ 7d

julieclair I enjoyed this and was glad I read it. I never would have picked it up on my own. Sending healing hugs to Zeke and to you. Hang in there. 💙 6d

Librarybelle So glad you enjoyed, @julieclair ! And thank you! 6d

41 likes12 comments

Librarybelle

I Am Livia | Phyllis T. Smith

This post contains spoilers

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4. Admittedly, I struggled with the writing style in this novel. I just could not connect with the narrative. Any comments on the writing or the style of the novel? Did you the first person narrative enhanced or took away from the telling of Livia's story? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Cuilin Same as I said in another post, too much telling. It could have been better. I think Smith had an agenda to write Livia as a likable character. We could‘ve sympathized with her though, even if Livia had been written as cold and calculating as she was still a woman in a man‘s world trying to survive. 7d

julieclair I listened on audio, and almost gave up because I was having trouble following all the political twists and turns, and couldn‘t flip back through the pages to reread passages. I finally decided to just concentrate on Livia‘s narrative, knowing that she was helping her husband(s) navigate a rotating cast of friends and enemies. Once I did that, I really enjoyed the book. 6d

Pogue I thought the book was written for upper middle grade. The language was simple and while the topic was interesting I would have not said this book was written for adults. 3d

7 likes3 comments

Librarybelle

I Am Livia | Phyllis T. Smith

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3. Moving away from the characters, let's look at the bigger picture discussed--the Roman Empire post-assassination. How familiar were you with events prior to the novel? How does the novel portray the events?

Quick reference guide from the History Channel:

https://www.history.com/articles/julius-caesar-assassination-fall-roman-republic

#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Cuilin I love Ancient Rome and I‘m relearning Latin on Duolingo so this was a perfect read for me. I found it all very believable. However the style took some time to get use to. There was a lot of telling and not showing which I hate in a novel. 7d

CatLass007 I‘m afraid I don‘t know much history about Rome. What I learned, I learned in English class from studying the play Julius Caesar. And I can‘t help remembering the episode of M*A*S*H where radar was trying to impress a new nurse and he kept saying that the fall of the Roman Empire was caused from within. 7d

julieclair My knowledge of Ancient Rome is sketchy at best, some enjoyed learning a bit more of its history through this book. I would like to read more from this time period. 6d

Pogue I love history and when I was in school I spent a lot of time with history books. I am not obsessed with Roman history but I do know who the major players are. 3d

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Librarybelle

I Am Livia | Phyllis T. Smith

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2. Now that we have some additional facts about Livia, what did you think of her? History considers her to be cold, calculating, heartless, and ruthless. Is that a fair assessment? Think about the men in her circle. How does this novel portray them, and if you are familiar with them, is their portrayal in the novel fair? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Cuilin I think this novel took a very different approach to Livia and posits a thesis that she was not as cold and calculating as we have been led to believe. 7d

CatLass007 It doesn‘t seem like it was very different than that it is now. Women who are ambitious, intelligent, or have any so-called “masculine” characteristics are considered cold and calculating. Women had few legal rights back then but they‘re taking away women‘s rights right now. Did I mention that I have a cat named Tiberius? 7d

julieclair Good points, @Cuilin and @CatLass007 . Because she was intelligent and ambitious, she has been considered cold and calculating. But maybe she was loving and loyal and good. We‘ll never know. 6d

Pogue I think that for a long time only men wrote and studied history, and they only look at how men are affected by women. The view is narrow and not supporting of women. I think that Livia, like all women, are complicated and are more than what they seem to be. And that history short changes women. 3d

7 likes4 comments

Librarybelle

I Am Livia | Phyllis T. Smith

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1. Smith allows us to go inside the thoughts of Livia as she becomes involved with the most powerful men in Rome. Were you familiar with Livia before reading this book?

History Hit did 10 facts about her: https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-livia-drusilla/

#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Cuilin Yes, I took Latin and ancient Roman civilization classes in secondary school. I think she did a good job setting the time period. 7d

CatLass007 I was not familiar with Livia. I think that may have been part of why I enjoyed this book. 7d

julieclair I had never heard of Livia, and really enjoyed seeing Roman history through a woman‘s eyes. Thanks for the History Hit link - very interesting! 6d

Pogue Yes, I knew who she was. I also think that she was not all that history makes her out to be. 3d

7 likes4 comments

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