Welcome to Litsy!

The only book available from #tob23longlist on my library‘s eBook system (Libby) that I found so far (many on hold, which is fine.) I was looking fewest pages to most.

I suspect this won‘t be most folks‘ cup of tea - I nearly bailed after the first SENTENCE - but I found it to be a quirky, deeply felt meditation on abandonment and attachment issues. Frances is a hot ass mess and while I was often exasperated with her actions, I was able to empathize with her A LOT. The basic set-up is rather farcical and isn‘t 100% successful, but this was a pleasant surprise. #TOB23Longlist #TOB2023

I initially bought this months ago based on the cover and a comparison to SATC. It is so much more authentic and lived in than that superficial mess. A group of Anglo-Nigerian women and their partners and families, navigating love and careers and parenting (or not) and above all, friendship. #TOB23Longlist #TOB2023

I was definitely too scatter-brained and frazzled to really do this justice. I was also confused about a major perspective element and had to look at everything from a different lens once I had sorted that.

Still giving it a light pick because I always love O‘Nan and think he is a remarkably talented chronicler of small town life.

#TOB23Longlist #TOB2023

Hamid‘s books are always a hit or miss for me and this one clearly was a miss. I couldn‘t connect to the style of the writing, the endless meandering sentences. And I did not really get the meaning of the book.
A man wakes up and his skin has turned dark and then all pale people turn dark. An interesting starting point for what could have been a poignant novel, but it felt detached and it didn‘t touch me the way it could have.

#ToB23Longlist

So Elizabeth McCracken insists this book is fiction but…
this memoir, not a memoir, but really IS a memoir, left me unmoved. The writing was really good and the right elements were all there yet, the story of a daughter mourning the passing of her mother didn‘t leave any kind of impression. Meh ? Note to EM: "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck."? ? #JustSayin

My #BookSpinBingo is Chouette! VERY EXCITED to finally get to this. It has possible #TOB23LongList opps (not sure how exactly but it has shown up on some recs).