Litsy

pick

Why do some books hit right? I dunno, but this one hit the right notes for me 🎶 Was it long? Yep - but I was ready for it and I was intrigued enough to settle in and enjoy the ride. It does feel like YA and I am not complaining; it had humor and teenspeak (hey I am old) and sex and crushes and twists and turns and magic with ambiguous good vs evil and I enjoyed it very much. #ToB2025 #Dec2024 Book119

Photo of Christmas 7 Fishes Stew 🌟

Chelsea.Poole This is one of two I have left for the ToB shortlist. Glad to see you enjoyed it! 2d

squirrelbrain Just started this - it‘s not my ‘thing‘ but I‘m going to settle in to enjoy it, like you did. 2d

BkClubCare @Chelsea.Poole - I tackled it before a few others because it was the longest 😂 2d

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BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - I am not sure if it matters, but likely…. I had both the audiobook AND ebook so I was immersed - any free moment it was in my ears or eyes. So easy to go back and forth. 2d

BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - there is a fabulous review from Oct on Goodreads that discusses the symbolism and WOW!🤯 I will try to figure out how to link it 🥴 2d

squirrelbrain The problem is, I have a few other longlisted books queued up on audio…. Short War, Cahokia Jazz and I‘m currently listening to Help Wanted. Too many books, too little time! I‘ll go find that review on GR though - thank you! 2d

BkClubCare @squirrelbrain oh I get it!! The reviewer was “Kim” 2d

44 likes7 comments

sarahbarnes

The History of Sound: Stories | Ben Shattuck

pick

I loved this book so much. 🩵 Happy to have read it in time to make my best of 2024 list - I loved it from the beginning and it was so good until the end. I liked the ways the stories revealed themselves throughout the book as the reader gets a different perspective on events or a mystery revealed. #TOB2025

Tamra Me too - I want a paper copy for my shelves. I will definitely reread it. 7d

squirrelbrain It‘s so good isn‘t it? Glad it made your favourites list too! 7d

Cathythoughts Can‘t wait to get to it 👍🏻❤️ 7d

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Tamra @Cathythoughts I‘m hoping you like it. 🤞🏾😄 7d

BarbaraBB Of course you loved it! Glad it made your best of 2024 list 🤍 6d

Suet624 I‘ve been giving this one out as gifts. Love it. 3d

36 likes1 stack add6 comments

Larkken

I Cheerfully Refuse | Leif Enger

pick

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.

Larkken It explores themes similar to Station Eleven and features some very beautiful sentences.

Station Eleven: A novel

Kitta @Larkken I loved station eleven - would I enjoy this too? 2w

Larkken @Kitta I think so! There‘s huge parallels to SE‘s discussion of art and community to this book (MC is a bassist, his wife a bookstore owner). This book has more of a slow-decline into the end of civ vibe rather than a traumatic pandemic, which was nice to me, and I found them both to be rather similarly intrinsically hopeful. Hope that helps! 2w

Kitta @Larkken yes! Thank you! I like post apocalyptic books, especially pandemic and quick destruction books but maybe a change of pace of the end of the world would be interesting. 2w

32 likes2 stack adds4 comments

sarahbarnes

The Book of Love: A Novel | Kelly Link

so-so

This book was a little too long and frankly I was glad to get to the end. I enjoyed a lot of it but I definitely prefer Link‘s short stories. Overall a good story and well written, but it did not need to be this long! 😆 #TOB2025

squirrelbrain Oh oh, still to start this one! 😬 2w

sarahbarnes @squirrelbrain I often enjoyed reading it, it just felt too long. I wanted to finish it; again, just wanted it to happen a little sooner. 😆 It felt like it dragged in places. 2w

BarbaraBB Thanks for reading it. I am still on edge about doing so 2w

35 likes3 comments

sarahbarnes

Margo's Got Money Troubles: A Novel | Rufi Thorpe

pick

The incredibleness of this book snuck up on me. It started as a light, funny listen for my commute and before I knew it, I was furious! A brilliant portrayal of the BS that women put up with and how Margo fought back. She is my hero - I love her so much. 💜 #TOB2025

Suet624 I was so surprised by this book. 😊 2w

BarbaraBB Fabulous review. Margo rocks! (edited) 2w

Cathythoughts Great review! I need to get this. 🩷 2w

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Lesliereadsalot Really liked this one too! 2w

sarahbarnes @Suet624 me too! It was so much more than I expected going in. I loved it. (edited) 2w

sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB doesn‘t she?! Glad you liked it too @Lesliereadsalot! 2w

sarahbarnes @Cathythoughts I think you‘ll enjoy it! 2w

youneverarrived Fab review! I felt the same 🩷 2w

Chelsea.Poole I love this book! Great review! 2w

36 likes9 comments

sarahbarnes

The Book of Love: A Novel | Kelly Link

I haven‘t had nearly the reading time I want these days, but I‘m slowly making my way through this very long book. Although I really like Link‘s writing so I‘m enjoying it. #TOB2025

BarbaraBB That is good to know. So many mixed reviews! 3w

squirrelbrain I borrowed this from the library as I‘m not sure if I‘m going to like it, so it‘s good to hear that you‘re enjoying it. 3w

sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I‘ll be interested to hear what you both think if you read it. I like that her stories involve elements of magic and fantasy but just casually as if it‘s normal. I don‘t like fantasy as a genre but I do really like her. 3w

36 likes3 comments

fredthemoose

Margo's Got Money Troubles: A Novel | Rufi Thorpe

pick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Starting to work my way through the #ToB2025 shortlist, and liked this one! I enjoyed following Margo as she navigated financial, legal, family, moral, and personal issues after getting pregnant by her community college English professor. She was flawed but relatable and I really rooted for her. Great overall cast of characters.

sarahbarnes Listening to this on audio right now and I‘m enjoying it too! 3w

55 likes1 stack add1 comment

fredthemoose

I Cheerfully Refuse | Leif Enger

so-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.

43 likes

sarahbarnes

Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky

A few that came available from the library. Let‘s see how many of these I can get to! 😁 #TOB2025

BarbaraBB Great haul and that fire, so cozy!! 1mo

squirrelbrain Great choices, and I love the 🔥 too! 1mo

Cathythoughts Gorgeous post 🔥 📚 1mo

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sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Cathythoughts thank you! 😊 I‘m excited to try these, even though I know a few have mixed reviews. 1mo

BarbaraBB I haven‘t heard anything about Invisible Hotel but do have a copy. I am super curious about it! 1mo

Suet624 Cozy photo. 4w

33 likes6 comments

BkClubCare

The Wedding People: A Novel | Alison Espach

pick

Loved it 🌟 and despite my last quote post, the narration is fine 🤗

#Nov2024 Book108 #ToB2025 #ToBLongList

Suet624 I just wish the cover was better. 1mo

BkClubCare @Suet624 - had to go check her prior novel cover art to see if “they” were trying for consistent look, but no? Not really? Anyway, I agree, it seems not quite “right”. (edited) 1mo

Megabooks This is one of my favorites this year!! 1mo

BkClubCare @Megabooks - mine, too! 1mo

50 likes4 comments

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