Welcome to Litsy!

Do you ever appreciate what a book is doing without necessarily enjoying the reading experience? This is the situation here. A book about identity (namely sexuality and race), both personal, and what it has to say about America as a nation. There‘s a boxing gym and phone sex and a retirement community…but mostly there‘s a large cast of characters that all crash together nicely but I was over it by the time it happened. Pick, with reservations.

I‘m not sure this was a book for me.

It‘s said to be about Helm, a wind in the Northern England. I was surprised by how little we heard from it. In this book of 340p, maybe 20-30p

And also we followed a lot of different people in different time periods, and I had a hard time knowing where I was unless their names popped up. The writing was the same no matter what. Maybe because of Helm, but I don‘t know

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This was beautiful. I finished a few weeks ago and remembered thinking maybe it didn‘t need to be quite so long, but thinking back on it I don‘t mind the length at all. Story of Sonia and Sonny, Indian young adults trying to make their way in the US and navigate family dynamics in India. It‘s a slow burn but worth the time.

I loved this

A book about loneliness, as the title suggests, but also of its consequences

The young girl who finds herself in a toxic relationship with a much older male artist that thinks everything is allowed in the name of art

The man that finds his best friend pushing him out of his life to find a wife

Two families that faces their own challenges, an aunt that left her husband, a mother that leaves her husband

About family

December #TBR

Anthony Marra recommended this book and because I love Marra‘s work I decided to give it a try. I agree completely with the Kirkus review. There are a few sections that lag, but this story is keeping me from being able to read my next book because I can‘t move on for some reason. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The story involves a missing teenager, the boxing culture, and a quest for love and identity. Characters are richly drawn and your sympathy lies with all of them.

I live about 10 minutes away from the studio center and whenever I have coffee in the café just around the corner from the studio center I always look around and wonder which author or painter is sitting next to me.

In my review I said I liked everything about this except reading it. Terrific relatable characters, ideas, purposes with wonderful settings in different parts of India and elsewhere, and a striking story arc. Sonia and Sunny are Indians raised to be American and end up not fitting anywhere. The novel is long and wants to be read at a regular pace. The prose is maybe too safe. Not sure. A lot went into this. My last from #Booker2025

‘Filled only by what pleases.‘ I like that idea. This statement is from a woman who has left her husband because she no longer has feelings for him and despite all societal norms is living in the mountains in a small cabin.

#WeeklyForecast is "Too many books, too little time"

Tagged needs to go back to the library soon so have started it, I am 30 pages in and unsure.

Private Revolutions is a Women's Prize long list and I am still in Nonfiction November so going to get through that. Time and Again doubles and both a #10BeforeTheEnd and #BookedInTime read.

We will see how the US holiday week goes!