Welcome to Litsy!

I found last year's ToB winner interesting, esp the way it made me think about talent thwarted by circumstance and outlets for frustration, the fact it was about two post-war French girls but was written by a woman who lived in China until she was 26, and written in English as a second language. It all made it feel very spare and deliberate. I'm glad #ToB2023 made me read it, though I don't think it was my favorite of that crop of novels.

Finally got around to reading this. I liked it, but it felt unfinished. Loved the writing. Interesting concept: MC who is so rich he doesn‘t have to work, but instead flails around trying to find purpose in his life through volunteer work and his friendships. He‘s so oddly clueless, I wanted to shake him, yet he‘s somehow sympathetic too. Not easy to pull that off. tournamentofbooks #ToB2023

An ambitious novel, which I thought flowed really well. I also appreciate there were some glimmers of hope amongst all the tragedy. An apt summary from a blurb on the back: “Imagine a mash-up of Stranger Things and Salman Rushdie”. 🤔
#ToB2023 (I do realize the tournament is over - hashtag is for my reference 😁.)

I have to say I found #ToB2023 rather satisfying! My top reads are on the top row (& the books I was not able to get to on the bottom 👀). I initially thought Sea of Tranquility was my fav only to find out that Babel actually edged it out 🤷🏻‍♀️ IMO, the first half+ of Babel was really excellent and it powered me through the rest… but I can better see how others might feel dif after these 2 books faced off 2x, and with such dif results lol

Audiobook and breakfast, with decaf in the mug I got myself as a treat. #ToB2023

I really enjoyed this #ToB2023 book. It was a bit rambling and some of the subplots rather far fetched but what a great cast of characters!

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Ok, I am a few minutes late since I had hoped to post before it all started (oh well!) and here‘s my ranking grid.
Top row makes up my top4+ with my favorite getting the lower right sidebar ribboned location. The last row shows my least favorites and the middle is a jumbled swirling can‘t-decide mess. Bring it on! #Tob2023 #LitsyToB23

I won‘t finish this before the start of the tournament (100 pages in), but I am so disappointed. I love mysteries and I love the violin, but I do not love this writing. I‘m surprised the book made the shortlist. Oh well. Expectations were too high.
#ToB2023 #ToB23 #LitsyToB23

I did it! #ToB2023 #ToB #ToBCompletist

This is roughly my order of preference for the #ToB2023 shortlist. Tomorrow it could change… The McCarthy utterly surprised me as did Manhunter. Maali Almeida annoyed me actively while reading but has grown in my memory. Most disappointing was the Mara because I loved the Tsar of Love and Techno so much.