@BarbaraBB on Litsy

Women's Prize For Fiction | Women\'s Prize For Fiction

I am okay with this #WP25 shortlist. I didn‘t read Good Girl, all others I liked except for The Persians. I am rooting for The Safekeep to win the prize.
What are your thoughts on the shortlist?

ChaoticMissAdventures

Amor4Libros I haven‘t read Tell Me Everything, and I liked all the others. The Safekeep is my pick, also! 2d

TheKidUpstairs Ditto. Didn't love The Persians, didn't read Good Girl (and not really interested), and I'm not a Strout fan (but I acknowledge that's my own personal taste). I'm very happy to see the other three on here, definitely rooting for The Safekeep as it was one of my top reads last year. 2d

Lesliereadsalot Safekeep would be my pick from this list. I did like All Fours and always like E. Strout. (edited) 2d

See All 26 Comments

BarbaraBB @Amor4Libros Have you read earlier books in the Lucy Barton series? It‘s so good and I do think you‘d think so too! 2d

BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs I know that you don‘t like Strout and I am always surprised since we mostly agree on the books we like! 2d

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot 👯 2d

Jas16 I am still waiting on library holds so haven‘t made much of a dent I the long list at this point. 2d

sarahbarnes I read three of these before the list came out and based on that, agree that I‘d love to see The Safekeep win. Although echoing @Lesliereadsalot that I really liked All Fours and am a Strout super fan so would be happy with any of those really. 2d

Amor4Libros @BarbaraBB I haven‘t read any, adding it to TBR! 😊 2d

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Me too, I wouldn‘t mind them to win either! 👯 2d

BarbaraBB @Amor4Libros I‘d be interested to hear your thought. The first is

My Name Is Lucy Barton: A Novel

Amor4Libros @BarbaraBB Just borrowed it from the library! 🤗 2d

charl08 I've still not read the tagged - just didn't grab me when I started it for the Booker and then I got distracted by other shiny new books. Maybe I'll get the paperback and try again...

The Safekeep

Deblovestoread I‘m going to give Good Girl a shot as I have it from the library. I will be thrilled if The Safekeep wins. 2d

squirrelbrain I‘m rooting for Safekeep (still!) - it was top of my list. I‘m a bit disappointed with the shortlist, but then the longlist wasn‘t stellar to start with. I‘m still enjoying The Persians actually, more than I expected, so we‘ll see how that goes…. 2d

AnneCecilie I was hoping Nesting would be there since everyone seems to love it. I would be quite happy if The Safekeep won, I loved that book 2d

Amor4Libros @Deblovestoread I liked Good Girl 🤗 2d

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain have you read Good Girl? I haven't really been interested, wondering if it's worth giving it a try? 2d

squirrelbrain @TheKidUpstairs - I have read it and it came 12th on my list, so that tells you what I thought of it. 😬 Actually I didn‘t hate it, but it was very repetitive- bad decisions, partying and drugs, all a bit depressing. 2d

BarbaraBB @Amor4Libros Exciting! Let me know what you think. 2d

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie I didn‘t like Nesting much. I don‘t want to sound like a snob but it felt like a book I‘ve read many times before 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2d

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain no the longlist was far from stellar. Glad you‘re enjoying The Persians. I did too - for the first half. 2d

BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain That settles it. I wont read Good Girl and focus on the International Booker longlist again, which is much better this year imo 2d

BarbaraBB @charl08 I‘d be interested to hear if you change your mind if you pick it up again! 2d

BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread Maybe I‘ll change my mind if you read it and love it. For now I am very hesitant! 2d

TheKidUpstairs @BarbaraBB I think I'll pass on it, too @squirrelbrain it sounds like one that could be a really good book for the right reader, and I just don't think I'm the right reader for it! 2d

53 likes26 comments

BarbaraBB

Women's Prize For Fiction | Women\'s Prize For Fiction

Here is my #WP25 shortlist.
It‘s just 5 because the other 3 I read (Nesting, Persians and Dream Hotel) for me were just not good enough. I loved Strout, July and Van der Wouden but they do feel a bit “last year”, I read them that long ago.
I did enjoy Fundamentally and am now reading and liking Somewhere Else.
In general I am underwhelmed by the longlist and I am not even sure if I‘ll read the shortlist. Curious which books it will be though!

squirrelbrain, ChaoticMissAdventures

ChaoticMissAdventures I couldn't get my hands on the Strout but I feel like it might make it on and I will have some time to get to it. Great prediction! 3d

squirrelbrain I agree that some of the books feel very ‘last year‘ - it seems like ages since we read them! 🤷‍♀️ 2d

CarolynM You got 4 out of 6 👏 (edited) 2d

See All 10 Comments

BarbaraBB @CarolynM Well indeed! I didn‘t realize! 2d

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures I guess you will now. If I were you, I‘d read the series. They are all so good - and short! 2d

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB I am going to try it, I read one of them years ago and wasn't impressed, but I am s different person now and maybe I will like it! 2d

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures Keep me posted, I am very interested in what you‘ll think in a different phase of your life! 2d

sarahbarnes Wow, you almost called the shortlist here! 😀 Adding Somewhere Else to my list since you liked it. 2d

squirrelbrain You did pretty well there! Better than me anyway…. 🤣 2d

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes @squirrelbrain I am happy with the shortlist considering I didn‘t like the longlist much. At least they chose my favorites lol! Sarah, I haven‘t finished Somewhere Else yet and it‘s a straightforward read about being Jewish in Europe in the 20th century but I am really enjoying it! 2d

54 likes10 comments

BarbaraBB

March's End | Daniel Polansky

#MarchStats

5⭐️
Wild dark shore
3,75 ⭐️
Perfection
Reward system
Hunchback
3,5⭐️
Road ends
Slow dance
Fundamentally
3,25⭐️
Help wanted
Broken country
3⭐️
Eurotrash
The dream hotel
The Persians
2,5⭐️
A leopard-skin hat
Nesting
DNF
Time of the child

sarahbarnes Pretty great month! 4d

45 likes1 comment

BarbaraBB

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

#ToB25 and #LitsyToB25 have taken very different roads this year (which makes it so fun!) but in the end we all agree (at least a majority does 😉) on James as the winner of both tournaments. Percival Everett finally takes away the 🐓!

Thank you all for participating in this year‘s LitsyToB and I hope to see you next year. But before that, it won‘t be long until we‘ll be back with #CampLitsy25! Meg, Helen and I hope you‘ll join us there!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot 4d

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 4d

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Well-ReadNeck @fredthemoose @AnneCecilie 4d

See All 30 Comments

AmyG Thank you so very much. Camp Litsy will be here before we know it! 4d

ChaoticMissAdventures Yay!! Thank you! This was fun to see, I know people wanted to root for underdogs but I really feel like this book deserves all of the flowers. And we all got to read some other interesting books along the way! 4d

Suet624 Thank you so much for doing this. I really appreciate it. 4d

Megabooks I know ladies!!! We‘ve got to start our longlist planning emails! It‘s about time to get submissions!! @squirrelbrain 4d

sarahbarnes Crazy! I‘m glad Everett finally won the Rooster, although I would‘ve rather it was for Telephone. Oh well! Thank you for organizing our tournament again this year! ♥️ 4d

GatheringBooks Looking forward to joining #CampLitsy2025! 4d

fredthemoose Great tournament! Got me to read several books that would not have been on my radar otherwise. Thanks @BarbaraBB for organizing! 4d

BkClubCare @sarahbarnes - For me, it is The Trees. Looking forward to reading Glyph soon. 4d

BkClubCare Yes! Happy Spring Reading 🌷 everyone as we look for jewels 💎 to discuss at Camp 🏕️ BIG THANKS 👏 to everyone organizing and participating. 💖 (edited) 4d

Deblovestoread Thanks @BarbaraBB Fun as always! Looking forward to camp 🏕️ 4d

Jas16 Totally agree @ChaoticMissAdventures! And thank you so much Barbara for all the work you put into this. I look forward to our tournament every year. 4d

Lesliereadsalot Chiming in with my thanks Barbara! Added lots of new books TBR! I did love James, so happy it won out. 4d

Bookwormjillk Thanks very much! Can‘t wait for Camp Litsy and hope that next year‘s books will be a little less awesome than James so that the winners won‘t be quite so obvious. 4d

Hooked_on_books It‘s a wonderful, worthy book and deserves accolades, but I would also like to see the love spread around a little bit. Thanks for hosting once again and all that goes along with it! 4d

Kristy_K @BarbaraBB Thank you for organizing! I‘m glad to see James won. 4d

squirrelbrain Yes, I was only thinking about that the other day! @Megabooks ☺️ 4d

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks Looking forward to doing this again with you two ❤️ 4d

Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB already thinking about the 4 I want to nominate!! 4d

kwmg40 I'm happy with the result and had a great time following both #ToB25 and #LitsyToB25. Thank you so much for hosting! 4d

cariashley Woop woop, what a great year all around! I‘m happy and unsurprised with the outcome as James was probably favorite read of 2024. I still think he should have won TOB for The Trees. Thank you so much for organizing again, it‘s been so fun! 4d

sarahbarnes @BkClubCare that‘s another great one! He really is just a phenomenal writer. 4d

Butterfinger My first year that I read so many from the list. I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you. 3d

BarbaraBB @fredthemoose @lesliereadalot @GatheringBooks @Butterfinger Thank you so much for joining. I am glad you enjoyed it. I‘ll tag you for #CampLitsy25 this Summer, which is the best! 3d

BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain I need to dive into the booklist but I can‘t wait to do so. We‘ll email soon - I always forget when we start posting and in what order things go! Xxx 3d

Gissy I really want to read it but I will read Huckleberry Finn first 🤷🏽‍♀️ 3d

Megabooks Usually we start talking now and post around late April so people have time to vote and then buy winning books before June. @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I‘ll try to pop an email today or tomorrow. 3d

squirrelbrain Look forward to hearing from you! @Megabooks 3d

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BarbaraBB

Chain Reaction | Simone Elkeles

3 months of #Bookchain2025:

The in title: Wolf at the table
Different genre: Publieke werken
Adjective: The wedding people
5 years older: Random acts of heroic love
Author‘s name in same color: No time for goodbye
Same color spine: The family experiment
More pages: Japanese short stories
Person on cover: Poor deer
Vowel: Eurotrash
Different format: Broken country
Author‘s name different color: Reward system
Next letter alphabet: Somewhere else

TheAromaofBooks

Suet624 No idea what bookchain is but I applaud you. 👏🏻👏🏻 4d

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Looking great!!! 4d

BarbaraBB @Suet624 lol, thank you 🥰 4d

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BarbaraBB

On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) | Solvej Balle

#WeeklyForecast 14/25

I am about to start Somewhere Else of the #WP25 longlist. After that, I‘ll wait what books will be shortlisted and decide which ones to read. So far I am preferring the #InternationalBooker longlist over the #WP25 so I am having two more of that list lined up for this week!

squirrelbrain Have a great week! 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures I have Big Bird on my TBR for this week also! Hope you like it. 5d

Lesliereadsalot I have Big Bird on my radar too. PS 1/2 way thru Point Zero on your recommendation. Where the heck is Teiko‘s hubby? 5d

See All 9 Comments

Hooked_on_books I loved the Balle! I dove right into book 2 and really want the others to be translated. 5d

sarahbarnes I hope you like Big Bird! I‘m anxiously awaiting Volume from the library. 5d

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot I hope you‘re enjoying it! I loved how Japanese it felt. 5d

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I am happy to hear that! 5d

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I have high hopes! 5d

Leoslittlebooklife The Balle novel is on my tbr too, its plot sounds very intriguing. 4d

59 likes9 comments

BarbaraBB

The Persians | Sanam Mahloudji

so-so

Another so-so #WP25 book. What could have been an interesting story fell short imo. I learned little about Iran after the revolution and the Persian family members living in the US didn‘t really came to life. Shirin became a caricature towards the end of the story, Seema‘s role was unclear to me. Bita and Niaz could have been more interesting and I wonder why Shirin even had a son - Mo didn‘t add a thing. The longlist is a bit disappointing.

TheKidUpstairs, squirrelbrain, ChaoticMissAdventures

BarbaraBB 📸 Artwork by Buhlebezwe Siwani 5d

squirrelbrain I thought they were all caricatures to start with, but then it grew more interesting as the story moved back in time to Iran. I‘m only halfway and I like it but I don‘t think it will be on my shortlist. 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures What gorgeous art!! I read and listened to this and had a hard time keeping the ladies straight. I agree with you, I was being generous with calling it a "pick" 5d

See All 6 Comments

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain They probably were from the start indeed but after a while it became tiresome, especially Sirin! 5d

sarahbarnes I haven‘t jived with the WPF list in a few years now. I just haven‘t been as drawn to the books as to some other lists. 5d

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I usually pick the ones that I feel drawn to from both lists but this year the #WP25 ones are a bit disappointing while the Booker ones exceed my expectations! 5d

63 likes6 comments

BarbaraBB

Hunchback: A Novel | Saou Ichikawa

#WeeklyFavorites

The Hunchback is still lingering in my mind. That‘s why it has to be this week‘s favorite book!
March‘s favorite is Wild Dark Shore.

Read4life

sarahbarnes Great week! 6d

Suet624 Screenshot! 6d

Cathythoughts Great! Can‘t wait to read Wild Dark Shore ❤️ 6d

Read4life A great month!! 💙📚💙 6d

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BarbaraBB

The Wedding People: A Novel | Alison Espach

It was to be expected that The Book Censor‘s Library didn‘t stand a chance against The Wedding People. So we‘re left with two very popular books left in the #LitsyToB25: TWP and James (James is a finalist in #ToB25 too).

Please vote one more time for your favorite and I‘ll see you on Monday for the final match! Have a good weekend. https://forms.gle/QksJX14ZcJMmmYij7

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot 1w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 1w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 1w

See All 26 Comments

sarahbarnes Two great books indeed. Although not the type of TOB books I hope for! Oh well, it seems like the tournament may never be what it used to be. 🤷🏻‍♀️ At least we still have the longlist every year! 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @sarahbarnes what book(s) from the long list were you rooting for? There were a few I was sad didn't make the shortlist. 1w

ImperfectCJ I appreciate that the judge in today's official ToB decision addresses the challenges of reading fiction in times like these. It can feel indulgent while at the same time feeling essential (at least to readers). Her comments remind me of how blown-away I felt when I read James and how important fiction is (although it doesn't take much to convince me of that). 1w

sarahbarnes @chaoticmissadventures I would‘ve liked to have seen Ghost Roots, Banal Nightmare, and Poor Deer on the shortlist. Which ones were you rooting for? 1w

BkClubCare Today‘s TOB readthru made me glad that I read The Safekeep 1w

BkClubCare @sarahbarnes - Poor Deer is such a great read! (The author admitted that she was relieved to not have it on the short list.) 1w

BkClubCare AND as much as I cheer for and (believe it or not,) continue to learn more to appreciate of James, I am choosing The Wedding People as it was my favorite read of 2024! 💒🍾 🌊 (edited) 1w

AmyG Thanks for the book rec of Poor Deer. 1w

Bookwormjillk I‘m torn about who to vote for. I have to think about this. (About 1/3 through Wedding People.) I loved Help Wanted from the long list and thought it should have taken George‘s place. 1w

Hooked_on_books Boo!!!! I loved TWP, but BCL is such a special book! I‘m not surprised, of course, but very disappointed more people didn‘t see in it what I did. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @sarahbarnes so many of us liked Poor Deer, it is sad it didn't make it in. I also really enjoyed I Cheerfully Refuse. There are a few on the longlist I still want to read eventually Cahokia Jazz and Small Rain look great. 7d

sarahbarnes @ChaoticMissAdventures yes! I want to read all three of those. Good to hear you enjoyed I Cheerfully Refuse. 7d

kwmg40 Two excellent books for the final! 7d

GatheringBooks Woohoo!! Voted!!! Thank you for the opportunity of participating. I have yet to finish around three books or so but this has been a fantastic experience. Til next year! 💕💕💕 7d

BarbaraBB @BkClubCare How cool that the author was glad Poor Deer wasn‘t shortlisted! And I totally agree @sarahbarnes , none of my longlisted favorites ended up on the shortlist 6d

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks Very happy you enjoyed it and to have you participating ❤️ 6d

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I voted for it because I think it deserves more audience but it didn‘t stand a chance 6d

BkClubCare @Bookwormjillk - g2k, will stack Help Wanted. I need to glance again through the long list. 6d

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Suet624 @Kristy_K @kspenmoll Voting for the winner is a draw so far. Your vote can make the difference. If you want, please do so! Thanks!! 😘 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB thank you for the reminder!! I got distracted yesterday 💃 5d

Suet624 Oops - thought I had done this. Thanks for the reminder. 5d

BarbaraBB @Suet624 @ChaoticMissAdventures Thanks!! 5d

Kristy_K @BarbaraBB Thanks for the reminder! Just voted. 🙂 5d

59 likes26 comments

BarbaraBB

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

We have our first #LitsyToB25 finalist. The History of Sound didn‘t really stand a chance against James.
I personally am disappointed, I rooted so hard for THoS 🤷🏻‍♀️
In the #ToB25 we‘ll see tomorrow if James there too advances to the finals. Today Martyr! beat Margo in the first ToB Zombie round.

Tomorrow we‘ll have the second Zombie match: The Book Censor‘s Library vs The Wedding People.

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot 1w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 1w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 1w

See All 12 Comments

Bookwormjillk I'm disappointed too. Hoping to finally start The Wedding People today! 1w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk Just in time to vote for it in the finals - if it wins against The Book Censor! (edited) 1w

TheBookHippie I like HoS better than James 🙃 1w

ImperfectCJ I'm disappointed in the results of both our contest and the official, but more in a *sigh* way than a stomping-my-feet way. I could go either way in our contest, and I shouldn't be surprised that an mfa prof chose the artier novel. I liked Martyr overall, but Cyrus's self-involvement wore on me after a while, and the creative-writing-class ending annoyed me. As did the totally predictable "twist." 1w

Hooked_on_books I‘m not surprised by either result. I threw my vote behind the underdog for us today, but clearly not enough of us did the same. Oh well. 1w

Suet624 Rats 1w

fredthemoose @ImperfectCJ I felt exactly the same about Martyr! 1w

squirrelbrain Meh - I wish HoS had got through but didn‘t really expect it to, with the James juggernaut. 1w

Megabooks Boo! History of Sound was just a bit better imo! 1w

67 likes12 comments

BarbaraBB

The Persians | Sanam Mahloudji

That‘s a promising first sentence! This might be exactly the kind of book I‘ve been looking for after way too much (and too realistic) dystopian novels. #WP25

Amor4Libros This one is so good! 😊 1w

BarbaraBB @Amor4Libros I have high expectations now! 1w

LeeRHarry That‘s a great first line 😁 1w

See All 10 Comments

Bookwormjillk Wow, so much going on in that one line. I love it. 1w

TheKidUpstairs I'm about half way through this one, so far so good! 1w

AmyG Ha! 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures I am reading this now, interested in your thoughts. There is a lot going on! 1w

squirrelbrain I just started this on audio on the way home - listened to the first 2 chapters and I‘m not convinced I‘m going to like it. 😬 1w

Cathythoughts I‘m not sure I‘ll like it either @squirrelbrain But , I‘m going to give it a go…. 1w

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Cathythoughts I am 50 pages in and liking it. Not sure where it‘ll go. 1w

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BarbaraBB

Hunchback: A Novel | Saou Ichikawa

pick

This is a novella about an disabled woman who can‘t go outside the home she lives in. She connects with the world by writing erotica and tweeting obscene things.
Ichikawa describes what it means to live with a severe handicap in an in-your-face way. You can‘t look away. Extreme and graphic, so well done. Yet I am in need of an explanation of the ending. #InternationalBooker25

Chelsea.Poole I just checked this out but the cover is very different than your edition. (edited) 1w

squirrelbrain Great review! 1w

Lesliereadsalot I have this one on hold at the library. Will give you my thoughts soon! 1w

Deblovestoread On my list for the weekend. Great review! 1w

Cathythoughts Great review and pic ❤️ 1w

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BarbaraBB

Zombies | John Hamilton

🧟 Here are our zombies! 🧟‍♀️

The Wedding People earned the most zombie votes ever (14) but doesn‘t need them. The History of Sound follows with 9 votes and will return as a zombie. Third is, surprisingly, The Book Censor‘s Library (6 votes)!
🚨Please vote for them today🚨: https://forms.gle/T1ZzTU9Fw5ESNUEcA

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 1w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 1w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot 1w

See All 9 Comments

squirrelbrain Love your zombie pic! 🧟‍♀️ I kind of expected Book Censor‘s Library to be on there as it was up against James so people would have known it would go out quickly. 1w

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain It‘s good it has a second chance indeed after meeting James in the first round. But being up against The Wedding People will be tough too! 1w

Bookwormjillk I'm happy with that. Good point @squirrelbrain about being up against James. 1w

kwmg40 Voted, but that was a tough decision! 1w

GatheringBooks Voted!! Thanks for the tag. Really enjoying this tournament. Thank you for organizing everything so well. 💕🙌🏽👌🏽 1w

Hooked_on_books Hooray for Book Censor! I‘m so happy to see it return! 🥰 1w

60 likes9 comments

BarbaraBB

The Wedding People: A Novel | Alison Espach

Happy birthday Jen 🎈!

Another very hard choice in the #LitsyToB25: The History of Sound vs The Wedding People, two absolute favorites. An almost equal score, but The Wedding People has won in the end.
It's not the end though, for The History of Sound. It will return as a zombie!
I'll annouce both 🧟 🧟‍♀️ shortly - along with another GForm for you to vote.
In the #ToB25 we were facing Irena vs Margo and again Irena wins. What‘s happening?

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot 1w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 1w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 1w

See All 17 Comments

Bookwormjillk I can't believe I still haven't read Wedding People! 1w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk You obviously should. It‘s very popular among the #LitsyToB25 participants! 1w

AmyG Happy Birthday @Jas16 🥳🎂🎉 1w

Jas16 Thanks for the birthday wishes @BarbaraBB @AmyG I honestly thought History of Sound would be our winner today so I am surprised and pleased by today‘s results. Not so much the other tournament. 1w

cariashley I said “ugh” out loud when I reached the end of the official judgment today, though I fully expected it. Margo is great but I knew it was just too flighty to go any further with the judges (same with Wedding People). 1w

squirrelbrain Happy Birthday @jas16 - glad you got your birthday wishes with our results! 🥳 Let‘s just ignore the main tournament shall we?! 🤣 1w

Deblovestoread Happy birthday @jas16! 🎂🎈📚🎉 1w

BarbaraBB @cariashley I agree. I expected the judges to find Margo and The Wedding People not ToB‘ish enough! 1w

Bookwormjillk Happy birthday @jas16 🍰 🍰 🍰 1w

Hooked_on_books This was a hard choice for me, as I really liked both these books. I‘m not surprised the official tourney chose Irena. It‘s what they do. 1w

Jas16 @squirrelbrain Thank you! And agreed. Another reason to be thankful for the Litsy tournament which I agree with more often than not and when I do disagree I can appreciate why. 1w

Jas16 @Bookwormjillk @Deblovestoread Thank you both so much! 1w

CarolynM I read about 20 pages of Irena before my irritation with it became too great to continue. This is the sort of writing the ToB likes? Sheesh! 1w

BkClubCare Yay Wedding People! 1w

64 likes17 comments

BarbaraBB

Nesting | Rois�n O'Donnell

so-so

Ciara tried to escape from her emotional abusive husband, with her small kids in tow. That‘s about it. Unpopular opinion but I found it a bit repetitive. I never really felt drawn into the story but that may be caused by the audiobook, in which the children‘s voices were extremely annoying (and not just when the kids were annoying themselves!). Definitely not my favorite on the #WP25.

ChaoticMissAdventures

ChaoticMissAdventures I thought it showed the repetitiveness of what it is like trying to get out of these relationships. Which I appreciate, but can see how it can get tiresome. In general I am annoyed by children's voices and POV so 🤣 maybe the audio isn't the best way to go. 1w

squirrelbrain Glad I‘m not doing audio on this one then! 1w

Hooked_on_books I‘m so glad I didn‘t get the audio for this, I could not deal with annoying children‘s voices! I‘m less enthusiastic about the fiction list than the NF based on what I‘ve read this year, but still intend to give them all a try. 1w

See All 7 Comments

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I didn‘t really like this one nor The Dream Hotel but I expect to discover some books that make it worth reading the longlist. Next will be

The Persians

sarahbarnes I just picked this one up. I will temper my expectations after your review. 1w

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Many loved it. I seem to turn into a cynical and critical person ☺️ 1w

Tamra Agreed! Glad I‘m not the only one. I also had the thought it was just me, but now I don‘t think so. It just didn‘t seem to offer anything new on the theme. 6d

73 likes7 comments

BarbaraBB

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

In the #ToB25 it's James against Martyr!, in the #LitsyTOB25 it's James against Beautyland.
That turned out to be one of the hardest choices for many of us but in the end James won, while in the real tournament Martyr! has grown into a serious contender for the Rooster!
We‘re sorry to see Beautyland go. The question is: can Percival Everett be stopped?! Tomorrow we'll know which Zombie he'll be up against!

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck @Bookwormjillk (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 1w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot 1w

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Bookwormjillk I guess there's still hope for a Beautyland Zombie! 1w

Lesliereadsalot I‘m sorry to see Beautyland go too, but James was amazing. Unforgettable. 1w

GatheringBooks I am super pleased to hear this. Glad that Martyr is doing quite well too. 1w

Suet624 My arms shot up in the air and I surprised myself by yelling, “YES!“ when I saw that Martyr! moved on on the TOB side of things. It's typical of me to root for an underdog and I was so glad to see the judge move Martyr! forward. I see that the commentariat disagrees with the decision but I'm thrilled. :). IMHO James has received its due praise. It's time for Martyr! to receive some love. 1w

Jas16 Beautyland vs James pitted my two favorite books of the tournament against each other. So it was going to both please me and make me unhappy either way it went. I was pretty shocked by Martyr beating out James. In my mind there is no comparison but that is what makes the tournament so I fun. 1w

Deblovestoread Not surprised James moves on and not unhappy either. I must read Martyr! 1w

ImperfectCJ The biggest thing that bugs me about Martyr! beating James in the official ToB (aside from the total MFA-speak of the judge's decision) is that now Beautyland is bumped out as a zombie. I don't dislike All Fours, but I think Beautyland deserves the chance to come back more. 1w

Hooked_on_books I‘m shocked by the judge today. For me Martyr was just ok and in no way a better book than James. Although I do like to see the book love get spread around, so it‘s a little tiring to see one book, even a really worthy one like James, hoover everything up. 1w

Butterfinger I absolutely adored Martyr. I also loved James. Tough. 1w

Butterfinger 100% agree @Suet624 1w

AnneCecilie I really enjoyed Martyr! I read Huckleberry Finn at uni and I don‘t like books I‘m forced to read, so while I liked James, my enjoyment of it suffered from my memories of HF 1w

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie I agree! I hated HF when I had to read it and that definitely influenced my opinion of James. 1w

56 likes15 comments

BarbaraBB

The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami

so-so

I think I‘ve been reading too much dystopian fiction lately, while living in a more dystopian world each day. This #WP25 book about women being detained because of their dreams, ruled by angry white men, feels utterly improbable but I thought the same of what‘s happening right now in the US. It can‘t be? Yes it can 😬
I normally love dystopian books but this one is just okay for me. I blame current politics, not Laila Lalami.

ChaoticMissAdventures

Bookwormjillk I know what you mean. I might need to switch to reading mysteries for a while where there are clear and logical endings. 1w

sarahbarnes I hear you on that. 😑 It does feel like things keep getting worse every day when I think that can‘t possibly get any worse. Taking a break from dystopian fiction might be a good idea - I might need to do that, too. 1w

Jas16 I struggled with the same thing. What is happening in the world is scary enough. 1w

See All 11 Comments

Lesliereadsalot Can see why you weren‘t in the mood for this one. Time for an uplifting book or two! 1w

AmyG Oh, I feel you. 😳 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures All of us in the same boat. I have it as a pick but I also am not going to be reading dystopian for a good long time. I love this picture though! Bring on the spring flowers 🌹 1w

squirrelbrain I can see why you struggled with it. Love your photo though! ❤️ 1w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @sarahbarnes @Jas16 @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG @ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain At least we‘re in this together 🤍 1w

sarahbarnes ♥️♥️♥️ 1w

Lesliereadsalot That‘s for sure!🩷 1w

charl08 Just finding this book terrifying. 1w

68 likes11 comments

BarbaraBB

The Wedding People: A Novel | Alison Espach

Today we had another obvious winner: The Wedding People. It is remarkable popular on Litsy and it's the #LitsyToB25 favorite of Myra, Care & Theresa. However, many will be sad to see Margo go (Chelsea & Carolyn's favorite book).
Fortunately, Margo advances in the #ToB25 where it knocked-out Liars.

🚨It is time to vote for the Semi Finals! 🚨Please fill in the form today as the tournament continues tomorrow! https://forms.gle/crtE6SZcqVW1fkid9

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot 2w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 2w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 2w

See All 25 Comments

Bookwormjillk It says I need access to vote 2w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk I changed the settings and the url above. Does it work now? 2w

Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB yes, thank you! 2w

Suet624 Both books surprised me. I went in assuming they would be fluff and they weren't. Sorry to say goodbye to Margo but happy for Wedding People. 2w

AmyG Awesome. I loved this book. I bailed on Margo. 2w

ImperfectCJ I like both, but I'm sad to see Margo go. The official decision today was interesting to read. Sometimes I get to the end and have no idea which the judge will pick, but Judge Hughes was not subtle in her preference between Margo and Liars. I think there's more going on in Liars than she gives it credit for, but I get where she's coming from. 2w

Jas16 I am happy with both of today‘s outcomes but would not have been overly upset if either of them went the other way. 2w

cariashley Both are great in their ways, but I just loved Wedding People so much so am happy it continues to advance here. I thought for sure Liars would win this round in the regular tournament and I‘d be annoyed, so am pleased! As noted in the official commentary, Liars was a massive metaphor and those kinds of books always leave me cold. 2w

Lesliereadsalot I liked both of these books, but Wedding People got my vote for how surprisingly good it turned out to be. 2w

CoffeeAndABook Ha!!! I‘ve just recently read & absolutely enjoyed both books. But Wedding People just knocks any book out of the park, it just does 😁 2w

GatheringBooks Yay! Just voted! Will get to Margo soonest but Wedding People really captured my heart. 2w

Well-ReadNeck This was maybe the hardest decision for me so far. I would highly recommend both of these. 2w

Hooked_on_books This was my hardest vote of this round because I really liked both books. I would have been happy for either to win. I was sure Liars would prevail in the official tourney, as I think it‘s the better book, so I‘m curious to read the judgement and see how the judge got there. 2w

BarbaraBB @CoffeeAndABook So many people loved it! It now goes on to our semi finals! 2w

BarbaraBB Like many I was surprised by The Wedding People and while I liked Margo too it didn‘t make such an impression. 2w

BarbaraBB @cariashley I had no idea it was a metaphor. So interesting! 2w

sarahbarnes I loved both of these, but I agree with you that Wedding People won out with me so I‘m happy for this outcome. 2w

squirrelbrain Like most of us, I loved both books, but preferred Wedding People. I‘m surprised by the ‘official‘ judgement though. 2w

CarolynM Although I voted for Margo I liked Wedding People a lot too. I also liked Liars a lot. I‘d have been happy for any of them to win. 2w

kwmg40 I liked both books, so I'm happy with the outcomes in the ToB and our tournament. 2w

BkClubCare And CHEERS for books that can be “fluffy” AND LITERARY !!! Book reviews reveal so much bias? I liked Margo, was more worried that my mom was also reading and not sure what she would think… and that I also thought Liars was such rage. . . Which is “better”? It depends on! (edited) 2w

BkClubCare But I so enjoyed TWP and think it the easier recommendation. Yikes 2w

63 likes25 comments

BarbaraBB

Hunchback: A Novel | Saou Ichikawa

#WeeklyForecast 13/25

It‘s all about the #WP25 and the #InternationalBooker25 these days. I am reading The Dream Hotel (WP). Next will be the tagged (IB). The Persians is WP again, as is Nesting that I am listening to.

squirrelbrain I‘m hoping to start The Persians this week….. 2w

AmyG Curious what you think of The Dream Hotel. 2w

sarahbarnes So looking forward to Hunchback! 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures Hunchback looks so good! I have 4 more #WP25 books than onto Booker and that one is top of my list. Hope you enjoy it! 2w

Lesliereadsalot I‘m next for Hunchback at my library! The Dream Hoel looks good too. (edited) 2w

60 likes5 comments

BarbaraBB

A Leopard-Skin Hat | Anne Serre

so-so

A narrator introduces a Narrator who introduces Fanny, who struggles with mental health and hides a girl with a leopard-skin hat inside her. That‘s what her best friend, the Narrator says. But we‘re warned by the narrator that this is just the Narrator‘s side of the story. So Fanny remains quite mysterious.
It‘s a weird, very French book, I think half of what Anne Serre means with it went over my head 🤷🏻‍♀️

#InternationalBooker25 longlist

Graywacke

TrishB You didn‘t quite sell it to me…. 2w

KarenUK Me neither! 2w

BarbaraBB @TrishB @KarenUK 🤣 I wouldn‘t 🤣 2w

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Graywacke Perfect shirt. While i think I understand everything in your review, I‘m completely bewildered by it. 🙂 @TrishB & @KarenUK 🤣 2w

TrishB @KarenUK 👋 hi good to see you! 2w

TrishB @Graywacke exactly! 2w

Gleefulreader This is the most honest review and I totally love it. I felt the same way about this but came down mostly on the “liked it” side of it. Her books are very odd though. 2w

sarahbarnes I‘m somehow still intrigued? 😆 I‘m getting it from the library so the stakes are low. Great photo! 2w

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes You‘ll like it I guess. It‘s a bit like Eurotrash. 2w

Suet624 i think my reading brain broke this morning and because of that I'm not sure I'm ready for this one. 😏 2w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 then don‘t! Find some uplifting stuff, we are in need of it, I totally get it! 2w

youneverarrived I love the photo 🧡 7d

79 likes12 comments

BarbaraBB

The History of Sound: Stories | Ben Shattuck

I am in shock that the today‘s #ToB25 judge favored Irena above The History of Sound…. Fortunately it is today's winner, in #LitsyToB25. It was up against Colored Television, Traceys favorite book on the shortlist. Unfortunately 6 votes for the book weren't enough against the very popular History of Sound. We'll be back after the weekend, with one more Quarter Final, directly followed by the Semi Finals, so be prepared to vote again on monday!

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 2w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 2w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 2w

See All 14 Comments

sarahbarnes That is shocking. I really loved History of Sound. 2w

Suet624 That really is shocking news. I guess that‘s what the TOB is all about but History of Sound was soooo good. And yay for our LitsyTOB voting result. 2w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 @sarahbarnes It can very well be a zombie in the #ToB25! And sometimes zombies do win the tournament 🤞🏽 2w

Suet624 @BarbaraBB Good point 2w

Bookwormjillk I was shocked too! 2w

ImperfectCJ I loved reading today's decision, and while I'd still likely pick Sound over Irena, the judge explained his reasoning well. And I love this from the commentary: "...but I remember so much of the book because I felt I had to be constantly on guard. Imagine if we read, say, the news or social media posts that way." It seems like a survival mechanism to approach almost everything in life these days as though the narrator might be unreliable. 2w

Hooked_on_books I haven‘t read the judgement yet, but I‘m not surprised. Yesterday when they said who the judge is and that he‘s a translator, I figured he‘d pick Irena. I loved HOS and am happy to see it progress for us, though CT really worked for me and was my pick today, so I‘m really sad to say goodbye to it. 2w

cariashley @Hooked_on_books yup it was obvious where it was going to end up as soon as I read his bio at the top! 2w

BkClubCare @sarahbarnes - I just yesterday started a reread/listen of THoS, I really thought it would beat Irina. That‘s ok, it‘s the fun of the ToB! 2w

Jas16 Not a day that either Tournament went the way I would have preferred. I really liked History of Sound but it is not a book I will reflect on the way I do with Colored Television 2w

kwmg40 Like everyone else, I'm shocked by the ToB judgement but glad that THoS is continuing with our tournament. 2w

65 likes1 stack add14 comments

BarbaraBB

Reward System: Stories | Jem Calder

pick

This is a good book of interconnected short stories. The first one is about Julia becoming a sous chef in a fancy restaurant (I liked that one a lot), the last one is Julia FaceTiming with her ex during lockdown. In between are stories about them and their friends. It‘s all very millennial, our smartphones might be the main character throughout the book, and I liked it a lot.

#Roll100

PuddleJumper

Lesliereadsalot I‘m a fan of interconnected short stories. Will try this one! 2w

Cathythoughts I‘m getting to like interconnected stories , I‘ll try it too. 😁 2w

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot @Cathythoughts I hope you‘ll both enjoy it! 2w

BennettBookworm Cool cover! 2w

69 likes2 stack adds4 comments

BarbaraBB

Beautyland: A Novel | Marie-Helene Bertino

This is interesting. In today‘s bracket Martyr! beats Beautyland in the #ToB25 while in the #LitsyToB25 Beautyland advances. The book is this year's favorite for five of us, while Martyr! is just two people's favorite: Sue and Anne Cecilie‘s Zombies are approaching quickly so we'll soon know if Martyr! wil be able to return from the grave!

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 2w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 2w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 2w

See All 14 Comments

Suet624 Yeah, I actually didn‘t imagine Martyr would advance on our litsyTOB. I liked both books and I just always like to give props to Martyr whenever I can. 😊 2w

Bookwormjillk I haven't read Martyr yet, but I loved Beautyland so much it would be hard to top. At least when one advances in our bracket and one advances in the TOB everyone can be happy. 2w

Deblovestoread I fully intend to read Martyr one day and always feel a bit guilty voting for a book when I haven‘t read the other. I did love Beautyland. 2w

BkClubCare Happy happy! 👏 2w

Hooked_on_books I am baffled by the TOB judge today. So much time spent on explaining her criteria (that needed some serious editing), only to discount the book I found far more surprising! I don‘t get it. Martyr‘s MC is a classic addict and therefore highly predictable and the whole premise of Beautyland is wholly unique. I‘m just boggled. I think we made the better choice. 2w

squirrelbrain I did like Martyr!, but it wasn‘t an ‘enjoyable‘ read, so I voted for Beautyland. I‘m glad Martyr! made it through as well though. 2w

ImperfectCJ @Hooked_on_books The decision today was definitely confusing. There was very little about why the judge actually picked Martyr over Beautyland, and while I agree that the scene she describes is excellent, it comes at the very beginning of the novel and we don't get many more of those moments. I like Martyr and find the writing beautiful, but I agree that Beautyland was the more surprising book and the one that got to me more. 2w

Jas16 It was an interesting judgement today. I think I love Beautyland so much in part of how surprising it was to me. So glad it is moving on in our tournament and hoping it returns as a zombie in the other tournament. 2w

cariashley I was really scratching my head about the whole “surprising” angle. Genuinely wasn‘t sure which one she thought was vs wasn‘t and it was weird that she was so binary about it. Made me think I was missing something with both books. I liked Martyr! more, for what it‘s worth! (edited) 2w

Lesliereadsalot Beautyland was so imaginative and well written and kept me wondering where it was going. I love those things in a book! 2w

BarbaraBB @cariashley I totally agree, in fact I was underwhelmed by Beautyland. 2w

58 likes14 comments

BarbaraBB

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Our first #LitsyToB25 quarter final is James against The Book of Love. A nobrainer. Even though not everyone has voted yet: it is 17 votes for James against 0 for TBoL.
In the #ToB25 James was up to Headschot and there too, it came out as a winner loud and clear.
Tomorrow will be more exciting I suppose. In both tournaments it is Martyr! against Beautyland. If you haven't voted yet please do so: https://forms.gle/wLZ3vkQuYwU77wom6

BarbaraBB @bkclubcare @chelsea.poole @gatheringbooks @AmyG @kspenmoll @kristy_k @sarahbarnes @soscha @CarolynM (edited) 2w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @lesliereadsalot @Megabooks @AnneCecilie 2w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 2w

See All 13 Comments

Megabooks I enjoyed book of love, and James isn‘t my favorite Everett, but James is brilliant. (edited) 2w

cariashley I‘m still only halfway through Book of Love and I‘m enjoying it, but it had no shot against James. Neither did Headshot! 2w

BkClubCare I just voted! 🗳️ and yeah, James. The GOAT of the tourney. I thought the audiobook of Headshot was excellent and definitely recommend that way to go. And I am super glad that I read The Book of Love 💕 2w

Hooked_on_books I liked BOL so much more than I expected to, but it was in no way better than James. This was an easy choice for me. 2w

squirrelbrain Exactly what Holly @Hooked_on_books said! ☺️ 2w

AnneCecilie I DNFed Book do Love so this was an easy choice 2w

Well-ReadNeck I keep coming back to the first Judge‘s thoughts about James being too highly touted to root for, but too undeniably good to not choose. 2w

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie Neither did I and yet I was still tempted to vote for it to keep James from winning. I agree with @Well-ReadNeck and the first judge! 2w

GatheringBooks Yikes! I only saw this quarter finals google forms now! Super late to the party. 2w

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks No problem! And there‘s another form on Monday! 2w

57 likes13 comments

BarbaraBB

Broken Country | Clare Leslie Hall

so-so

So much love for this book but I can‘t see why. Too sweet, too polished, too cheesy. Lost love, grief, children, secrets: all ingredients are there for an emotional lovestory and it is. How convenient.
I enjoyed it but it felt as if the writer dictated some characteristics and ChatGPT came up with the story.

I am a snob, I know, this book is promoted everywhere, and that‘s mostly a reason for me to not read it. That would have been better.

Reecaspieces I understand. It is a bit overdone I did give it four stars but only because of the grief element 2w

BkClubCare Ty, I will bring a keener eye to it if I don‘t bail before the 30 weeks hold ends 😂 I have been doing that a LOT. As soon as the library tells me it is ready, I cancel; no longer interested. 2w

BarbaraBB @BkClubCare I know, same here! 2w

See All 9 Comments

britt_brooke Appreciate this review. I‘ve been on the fence about picking it up. 2w

BarbaraBB @britt_brooke Thank you. I am a minority though, everyone seems to love it 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2w

britt_brooke @BarbaraBB I have a feeling I‘ll be with you. 😂 2w

CarolynM Love your review. I often feel like this about popular books 😆 2w

TheLudicReader I just finished this one, too. I just didn‘t get a sense of any of these relationships. Like other than the fact that Gabriel was beautiful and Beth was beautiful…why exactly did they love each other? 🤷‍♀️ It was easy to read, but nowhere near as compelling as The Paper Palace, to which it is often compared. 1w

BarbaraBB @TheLudicReader I loved your review and am glad we are in agreement. It‘s all way too convenient to my taste 1w

87 likes9 comments

BarbaraBB

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

#LitsyToB25 We mostly were in agreement again. Jill, Katherine and Myra voted for Someone Like us but couldn‘t prevent Margot winning with a large majority. Chelsea and Carolyn are even rooting for Margo to win this year‘s tournament! In the #ToB25 too Margo in the end stole the heart of the judge.
So we‘re all set for the Quarterfinals, starting tomorrow!

🚨 Please vote today for your favorites:
https://forms.gle/wLZ3vkQuYwU77wom6 🚨

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 2w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 2w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 2w

See All 24 Comments

BarbaraBB @kwmg40 Hi Paulina, I think the link didn‘t work so I changed it. Should be fine now? 2w

kwmg40 The link works now, and I‘ve voted, thanks! 2w

fredthemoose Ugh—a head to head between two of my favorites!! 2w

kwmg40 Happy to see Margo move on in both competitions, but tough that it‘s now up against Wedding People in ours. 2w

Bookwormjillk I liked Margo a lot but it was kind of a James thing where I wanted a lesser known book to advance. 2w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk I feel that way too especially about James! 2w

ImperfectCJ I'm happy to see Margo advance, but Someone Like Us has stuck with me to the point that I would have been happy to see it move forward, too. The Storygraph reminded me that I read (and liked) this book by Mengestu back in 2010. I didn't remember it by the title, but the synopsis brought back the vibe and a fair amount of the plot for me.

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears

ChaoticMissAdventures Yay!! I love Margo, I have recommended this book too many people. 2w

sarahbarnes Margo has my heart! 💜 2w

Megabooks Rufi Thorpe‘s last three books have been huge winners for me. I‘m so happy she‘s getting well deserved wider acclaim for this one!! 2w

Suet624 @Megabooks I totally agree 2w

cariashley I really loved this judgment today. I‘ve been feeling self conscious that I haven‘t been enjoying “literary” fiction lately and the judge just nailed so much of why - I want to be made to feel, not just think, at this point in my life! 2w

Hooked_on_books Hooray for Margo! I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected to. 2w

Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB I really liked Margo and James but if they end up in the final I‘ll be disappointed 2w

Daisey I‘m going to have to add this to my TBR. I‘ve seen so many positive reviews. 2w

CarolynM I read so few of the books, I don‘t think my vote is worth very much. But I did like Margo. 2w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM Your vote can make all the difference! Both books are popular among us! 2w

BarbaraBB @cariashley That is so true. In my life and in this world! 2w

BarbaraBB @Daisey It‘s good. And fun! 2w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk Margo I could live with. Has Thorpe had much recognition for this book? 2w

Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB no awards I don‘t think but I‘ve seen it around a lot. 2w

61 likes24 comments

BarbaraBB

The Wedding People: A Novel | Alison Espach

Thanks to @Bookwormjillk George got a vote, the rest of us, without knowing which book it would be, all voted for the winner of the Play In round. Three strong containers and yes, many of us despised George. So we‘ll see The Wedding People again in the next round of the #LitsyToB25. George leaves our tournament because he didn't get any Zombie votes.
In the #ToB25 too the play-in winner advances, which means Liars in their case!

⬇️read further⬇️

BarbaraBB 🚨 Tomorrow is the last match in the Opening Round. With the results of that bracket I‘ll share a link to a new GoogleForm so you can vote for your favorites in the Quarter Finals. Please check in tomorrow and do vote because the next day the Quarter Finals will already start! 🚨 (edited) 3w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 3w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 3w

See All 19 Comments

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 3w

Lesliereadsalot Way to go Wedding People!! 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures So happy! I see enough Georges in real life, I don't need to be mad about them here 😂 3w

ImperfectCJ I'm happy with both results. In the official ToB decision, I worried that the judge was going to side with George because he related to the characters more, and I was pleasantly surprised by what felt like a pivot. Although I like B of G, I like Wedding People (and Liars) more. I also enjoyed the commentary about the purpose of reading fiction. 3w

Suet624 I'm delighted with the result. 3w

Bookwormjillk Haha it‘s for the best for all the reasons listed here. Still haven‘t read The Wedding People yet though. 3w

Jas16 I ended up skipping George after all the Litsy reviews and am so happy I did. 3w

Deblovestoread Like @Jas16 the reviews put me off George but I loved The Wedding People. 3w

Megabooks So happy with the results in both tournaments!!! Steph (reviewsbylola on insta) loved the book of George, and I‘m like…did we read the same book? Yeah, not a fan!!! 3w

Hooked_on_books Good riddance to George! I‘m very happy to see both play in books knock him out in their respective places. 3w

GatheringBooks Yay for wedding people! I super enjoyed it! 3w

GatheringBooks @Jas16 same! I skipped george too since it seemed to be universally hated by litsy folks. :) (edited) 3w

Well-ReadNeck Yay, Litsy! In the actual ToB, I was rooting for both books to lose, so, natch I was disappointed. Was interested in the judgment especially since the judge is male. I may have leaned the same way, although both of those books made my blood boil, but I think my preference may be generational comfort (I‘m gen X) 3w

AmyG Great choice! Loved this books so much. 3w

sarahbarnes Yay! I skipped George because it sounded insufferable. But I loved WP! 😀 3w

CarolynM Good choices in both tournaments 🙂 2w

60 likes1 stack add19 comments

BarbaraBB

Fundamentally: A Novel | Nussaibah Younis

pick

#WP25 Book 4

This was a delightful read despite the heavy subject: the rehabilitation of ISIS women in a camp in Iraq.
It‘s a perfect job for Nadia, who‘s escaping a life of partying hard in London. She used to be Muslim but doesn‘t believe any longer. She feels like she should safe Sara, one of the ISIS brides, and needs the help of her UN colleagues. I can‘t really explain what makes this book funny yet poignant but it certainly is.

ChaoticMissAdventures

ChaoticMissAdventures This has been one of my favorites of this year's long list! So glad you liked it. 3w

TrishB Looking forward to it 👍🏻 3w

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures @TrishB It‘s highly original and unexpected. And I loved Nadia‘s imperfections! 3w

See All 11 Comments

TheKidUpstairs I really enjoyed this one, glad you did too! Original and unexpected is a great description, it felt fresh! 3w

squirrelbrain Looking forward to this one! 3w

sarahbarnes I may have to try this one! Great review. 3w

LeahBergen Great review! I already have this stacked or I would have added it. 😆 3w

BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs Fresh says it all! 3w

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @sarahbarnes @LeahBergen I‘d be interested in what you‘ll think of it! 3w

Cathythoughts Agree with all these comments. ❤️ Stacked. 3w

CarolynM Sounds good. Stacked 🙂 3w

76 likes6 stack adds11 comments

BarbaraBB

Broken Country | Clare Leslie Hall

#WeeklyForecast 12/25

I am reading the tagged book (not that impressed yet) and Fundamentally.The latter is my first #WP25 read since the longlist was announced and I am enjoying it a lot. Next will be A Leopard-Skin Hat from the #InternationalBooker longlist (can you feel the stress with all those longlists?!) and I also haven‘t got to my #Roll100 read, Reward System!

sarahbarnes I‘m excited to hear your thoughts on Leopard Skin Hat! You‘re doing a great job with all the longlists! 😀 3w

BarbaraBB I am more invested in the Booker one, I‘ll just read the WP ones that I am interested in. Also I won‘t read all of the Booker ones. @sarahbarnes (edited) 3w

sarahbarnes Same. Not as many on the WP list are speaking to me right now. There are a few on the Booker list I don‘t have easy access to but I‘m more drawn to the books on that list this year. 3w

Suet624 Goodness! These lists can sometimes feel overwhelming. 3w

75 likes4 comments

BarbaraBB

Colored Television | Danzy Senna

#LitsyToB25 Our winner is Colored Television with 75% of the votes. That means Irena Rey still got quite a few votes among us.

In the #ToB25 Irena continues. This doesn‘t surprise me. It‘s a typical ToB book and I liked the judgment. Personally I am happy with this outcome because I liked it better than CT. What do you think?

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 3w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 3w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 3w

See All 16 Comments

ImperfectCJ I liked Colored Television better, but Irena Rey has actually grown on me since I finished it (it surprises me how often I think about it), so the different decisions in the two ToBs is a great outcome, from my perspective. 3w

Lesliereadsalot Two more that I missed! Darn! 3w

TheBookHippie Finally I‘m almost 100 percent. I could go either way here. 3w

Hooked_on_books I thought Irena was a fascinating book, but trying a little too hard to be madcap. CT, on the other hand, was one of my top fiction reads last year, so this was an easy choice for me. Boo on today‘s judge and may CT rise again! 3w

AmyG I started CT, am enjoying it, but haven‘t finished it. 3w

squirrelbrain It doesn‘t surprise me that Irena made it through the real #ToB. I agree with you, Barbara - it‘s most definitely a ToB book. 3w

kwmg40 I'm happy with both decisions. When I voted for CT, I had just started Irena and didn't have high hopes. I'm most of the way through Irena now and it has grown on me. 3w

Well-ReadNeck I voted for CT and am thrilled that we picked it. The judge today just reads very differently from me and I was not convinced by her rationale in the least. But, I‘m a fan of a plot and I just felt like Irena was trying too hard. And, by the end I just did not care at all. Totally agree that it‘s a ToB sort of book, tho 3w

Butterfinger I really liked Irena Rey. The quirkiness was one of the reasons I liked it. It was a hybrid of ALL genres. It surprised me how much I liked it. I have not read Colored Television, yet. 3w

BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ Me too! I wonder why? And I have forgotten all about CT! (edited) 3w

Megabooks Irena Rey was my worst book of last year, so yeah, I‘m happy for CT to continue! 3w

Jas16 Loved CT so happy to see it advance with us. 3w

Suet624 I‘m reading and enjoying CT so far. 3w

66 likes16 comments

BarbaraBB

Eurotrash: Roman | Christian Kracht

so-so

A middle aged son drives his old and ill mother across Switzerland. They argue and confront the past. They‘re rich. Her father never stopped being an Nazi. The story is a mix of stream of consciousness, name dropping and little plot.
Not my favorite of the #InternationalBooker25 longlist but it has some good parts.

#ReadTheWorld2025 book 8 #Switzerland

GatheringBooks, Graywacke

Suet624 Hmmm… okay, off the list. 3w

Graywacke That sums it up. But I enjoyed it a lot. Loved his mom. 3w

BarbaraBB @Graywacke She was fun indeed. And sharp! What‘s your next #InternationalBooker read? 3w

See All 8 Comments

Graywacke @BarbaraBB I‘m still working through what the library provides. I‘m reading Under the Eye of the Bird. I‘ll pick up The Book of Disappearance from the library today and read that next. Then Solenoid - which i own. 3w

britt_brooke Nice review and photo. This room aesthetic is totally my vibe. 🩷 3w

BarbaraBB @britt_brooke Thank you 😊 3w

sarahbarnes This is my next Booker list read that I‘ll be starting soon. Good to know to temper my expectations a bit. 3w

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes You might love it, @Graywacke did! 3w

80 likes8 comments

BarbaraBB

The History of Sound: Stories | Ben Shattuck

Another convincing winner today in the #ToB25 as well as the #LitsyToB25. Orbital didn‘t stand a chance against The History of Sound, which is this year‘s favorite for many of us. Only Amy and Soscha voted for Orbital and so we see the winner of the #BookerPrize24 leave our tournament!

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 3w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 3w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 3w

See All 19 Comments

Bookwormjillk So glad my to favorites advanced (History of Sound and Beautyland). 3w

sarahbarnes Yay! Very happy to see this one move forward. 🌊 3w

kwmg40 Yay! I loved The History of Sound. One of my favourites this year. 3w

Hooked_on_books I liked both of these, but HOS was so gorgeous there was just no question. Glad to see it move on! 3w

Deblovestoread I really liked Orbital but it is rare for me to be enthralled with short stories so HOS got my vote. Glad to see it move on. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures I am still waiting for History from the library, but I was not impressed with Orbital, was really surprised when it won the Booker. 3w

AmyG Ha…I only voted for Orbital as I didn‘t read The History of Sound. 😬 (bumping it up on my ereader) 3w

GatheringBooks I get how literary Orbital was but it only made me realize how much I would loathe being an astronaut - more than me being enamored by all the lyrical paean to the galaxy, plus the thinly-veiled exoticizing of the fisherman in the storm-lashed island where my mother was born just didn‘t sit well with me. HoD, on the other hand, was subtle, sparse, yet packs a punch nonetheless. I am glad it won. 3w

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks I felt the same about Orbital and yes @AmyG you should bump HoS up, it is totally your kind of book! 3w

AnneCecilie @AmyG We use different strategies. I voted for The History of Sound because I saw a lot of great things about it and I bailed on Orbital 3w

Jas16 @Deblovestoread Totally agree. 3w

Megabooks HofS is a 5⭐️ short story collection for me and I am stingy AF!! Highly recommend if you‘re reading this thread and haven‘t tried it yet!! 3w

Lesliereadsalot Ok…The History of Sound is now on my radar! 3w

Well-ReadNeck I honestly thought Orbital might win here because of the buzz it‘s gotten, but (warning:Hot Take Incoming) I thought it was soooooooooo boring. 3w

BarbaraBB @Well-ReadNeck As boring as their lives in space I think but I totally agree. And I too was thinking it might have won in the ToB 3w

Suet624 I‘m a very happy camper so far. History of Sound is phenomenal. 3w

56 likes3 stack adds19 comments

BarbaraBB

Beautyland: A Novel | Marie-Helene Bertino

#LitsyToB25 We are in sync again with #ToB25 and we were almost unanimous on this prompt. Great Expectations was only voted for by Katherine and AnneCecilie.
So Beautyland is the big winner.
It‘s this year‘s favorite of Jen, Jill, Amy and Debra and I remember that Charity has discussed the book somewhere too? So let us know what you think of this outcome!

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 3w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 3w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 3w

See All 17 Comments

Lesliereadsalot Beautyland was so imaginative. I loved the story and am glad it won 🏆 3w

AnneCecilie Well, bailed on Beautyland so I couldn‘t vote for that now could I 😊 3w

Suet624 Again, I‘m so happy! 3w

ImperfectCJ I loved Beautyland! I loved it so much that I bought a copy for my elder child for Christmas (and am trying not to feel grouchy that they have been focusing on college rather than reading the book I got them). I enjoyed reading the commentary on the judgment over at ToB. They really hit what I found lacking in Great Expectations. 3w

BkClubCare I very much enjoyed Beautyland and am glad I purchased for a possible reread. I audiobooked GE and ended up listening at 2x speed just to get through it which might be worse than just DNFing. I do have fond memories of the puzzle I was working on while listening 🤩 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures I still need to read beautyland I have a copy and am super excited to tackle it, glad it won as Great Expectations was a bit of a let down I didn't hate it as much as others but did find it lackluster. 3w

Bookwormjillk Love, love, loved it. Yay! 3w

Hooked_on_books This was an easy choice for me. GE was disappointing and Beautyland was lovely. I‘m glad to see it go this way. 3w

Megabooks Awesome!! One of my favorite books from last year!! 3w

AmyG Yay! 🎉 This is my favorite of all of them. (edited) 3w

Well-ReadNeck Love the result. The judge‘s narrative was surprising to me. Focused heavily on the alienation of the main characters, which was A THEME of both, but not as primary for me as it was for her. 3w

Jas16 I loved this book and would have been so sad had it not moved forward. 3w

squirrelbrain Hooray! I‘m glad it won in both tournaments! 3w

BarbaraBB I am the odd one out. I voted for it but I was not so enthusiastic about Beautyland as most of you are. 3w

68 likes1 stack add17 comments

BarbaraBB

Help Wanted | Adelle Waldman

pick

Great subject, great setting. The people of Movement (the ones who offload and unpack boxes) in a big store will get a new manager. Anyone has a say before Corporate decides and we learn a lot about the team members before they have their interview.
It took a bit too long to pickup pace but once it did it was a good read. Thanks for the recommendation Helen! #ToB25longlist

squirrelbrain

squirrelbrain Glad you liked it! 📦 3w

ImperfectCJ I just started this one today and came to Litsy to see what other people had to say. Right now, I feel like there are a lot of characters, and the omniscient viewpoint is a bit off-putting to me, but based on your review, I will persevere with confidence! 3w

BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ It‘s pretty straightforward once you know the characters. And it‘s an original story 3w

73 likes3 stack adds3 comments

BarbaraBB

Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar

#LitsyToB25 Martyr! is our winner today. Only Tracy, Holly and Theresa voted for Rejection. Short stories and the tournament aren‘t always a good match.
And we do agree with the #ToB25 judgment today so in both tournaments we‘ll see Martyr! continue.

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 3w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 3w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 3w

See All 20 Comments

Chelsea.Poole I really, really enjoyed Rejection…and I‘m normally not into short stories. But Martyr took hold of me in a much more intense way, so I had to vote for it! 3w

Suet624 I‘m so happy!! 3w

Bookwormjillk Another set I didn‘t get to, but Matyr! is high on my list since @Butterfinger ‘s glowing review. 3w

BarbaraBB @Chelsea.Poole I remember that you liked it so much. Too bad it met Martyr! that soon in the tournament 3w

Lesliereadsalot Now I have to get to Martyr!! 3w

Well-ReadNeck I may need to re-read Martyr! it might hit different at a different time, but I just thought it was 👍🏼, not really 🤯Rejection made me feel sooooooo uncomfortable in all the best ways. I did listen on audio which I think may have enhanced it for me since tone is so important to that one. Voted the other way, but not disappointed here. 3w

Well-ReadNeck For those of you who may not have made it that far, the final story in Rejection ties it all together in the absolutely best (and funniest) way 3w

Megabooks I love short stories, but I was not a fan of rejection. Glad to see Martyr move on! 3w

fredthemoose Ugh—I didn‘t necessarily love Rejection, but Martyr! was my least favorite of this year‘s list. Just did not like or care about the MC at all. 😝 Glad others liked it more. (edited) 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures I liked both of these, hate it when that happens, but I loved Martyr! the writing was so sharp about addiction. Glad to see it move on. 3w

Hooked_on_books I‘m unsurprised given the accolades Martyr has earned. Like @fredthemoose , I struggled with the MC. I also didn‘t like the big reveal of who the female artist was. For me it was a bit silly. And I thought Rejection was great in a disturbing way. I feel like the author had a good time writing it and that came through. 3w

Butterfinger Martyr was my favorite. I thought it was very relatable. It brought to light things that I never learned. 3w

Jas16 I could not even finish Rejection so Martyr easily got my vote. 3w

sarahbarnes I still want to read Martyr at some point! 3w

GatheringBooks I voted for Martyr which is keeping me up for several nights now - I knew 100 pages in that this was my choice. 3w

kwmg40 I'd read the first story in Rejection and never got back to it. I really liked Martyr! so it was an easy decision for me. 3w

cariashley Pleased with this outcome! 3w

62 likes20 comments

BarbaraBB

Slow Dance: A Novel | Rainbow Rowell

pick

This is so not my kind of book but Meg convinced me with her review and I spent a lovely day with it. Shiloh and Carey were best friends in high school but love was always in the air - except that Shiloh didn‘t dare believing it. Years later they reconnect and pick up where they left it in their teens. A very convincing lovestory and great dialogues. For who wants a break from reality ❤️

Megabooks

Megabooks Yes, exactly. Realistic with great dialogue! 4w

ShelleyBooksie Agree! 4w

86 likes1 stack add2 comments

BarbaraBB

The Book of Love: A Novel | Kelly Link

#LitsyToB25
A new week with opening round matches!

Headshot versus The Book of Love is the prompt of which we were most divided. The Book of Love has won with just one vote more than Headshot.
In the #ToB25 Headshot did make it to the next round so all of us can be happy!

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @Butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 4w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck (edited) 4w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks @Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes (edited) 4w

See All 25 Comments

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks @AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 4w

Suet624 Sadly I haven‘t read either of them. 4w

fredthemoose Oooh, interesting… those are two very different books! 4w

Jas16 Have to admit I wasn‘t very invested in this matchup although I did vote for Headshot. 4w

Lesliereadsalot Have not read either of these. But did run out and get The Book Censor‘s Library! 4w

Bookwormjillk I haven‘t read these yet. Soon! 4w

BarbaraBB @Jas16 I felt the same! 4w

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot That‘s good! You have to read @Hooked_on_books review! 4w

squirrelbrain I agree too @Jas16 - I didn‘t love either of them…. 4w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 You‘ve not missed much if you ask me. Headshot was okay, I bailed on The Book of Love but later I thought I should have read on a bit longer because many people ended up liking it 4w

Suet624 Oh, good to know. I had the book of love in my hands at the library and I just wasn‘t getting the pull to take it home with me 4w

Hooked_on_books @Suet624 @BarbaraBB Try the audio. I don‘t think I would have made it through the print because it takes so long to get going. But I got invested by hanging on with the audio and ended up really liking it. 4w

Hooked_on_books @Lesliereadsalot Book Censor is SO good! 4w

Megabooks @Hooked_on_books agree 💯💯💯 January LaVoy‘s narration was great!!! @Suet624 @BarbaraBB 4w

Hooked_on_books @Megabooks I‘ve always thought she was fine as a narrator but didn‘t get the raves. Then I listened to this one and Good Dirt close together and see how good she is. 4w

AmyG @BarbaraBB Same. Headshot was ok….I like the idea of it more than the actual book. I bailed on The Book of Love and thought the same. (edited) 4w

Suet624 @Megabooks @Hooked_on_books thanks! I‘ll see if I can grab it from the library 4w

Butterfinger Both of these were so-so for me. I had no preference. 4w

kwmg40 I'd only gotten halfway through The Book of Love before I had to return it to the library and am now waiting for it again. I've been enjoying the story so far, and I've always liked the strange worlds Kelly Link has created in her stories. I had liked Headshot too but ended up giving my vote to The Book of Love, so I'm happy to see it advance. 4w

sarahbarnes I didn‘t feel as strongly about the outcome here, so happy to see one match up go each way! 4w

Well-ReadNeck OMG! I luuuurrrrrrrrved Headshot!! I thought that the judgment did a nice job of finding some shared themes and ways to compare. And put a finger on some of the things I couldn‘t quite articulate about how I felt about both books. Co-sign 💯 4w

BarbaraBB @Well-ReadNeck I was happy with the judgment and their rationale too. 4w

66 likes1 stack add25 comments

BarbaraBB

Eurotrash: Roman | Christian Kracht

#WeeklyForecast 11/25

I am almost finished with Slow Dance, which is a cute romance and palette cleanser. I also started Help Wanted (#ToB25 longlist). Next will be the tagged (#InternationalBooker) and maybe Reward System (#Roll100). Lots of plans but less time!

sarahbarnes The one will be next for me from the Booker list, too, as it‘s waiting for me at the library. I‘m currently reading On A Woman‘s Madness and can‘t decide how I feel about it yet. 4w

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes That one‘s on my soon-to-be read list too but first Eurotrash. I am glad they are all pretty short 😉 4w

67 likes1 stack add2 comments

BarbaraBB

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Another unsurprising win in the first real bracket. In the #ToB as well as our #LitsyToB25. James it is.
The Book Censor was voted for by Meg, Holly, Jill & Kristy. Holly has been a big promotor of it on Litsy, she and Kristy even think it should win the tournament!
For now chances seem small, although the zombies can be surprising. James is this year‘s favorite for 5 of us: Shawna, Tammy, Katherine, Leslie and Cari. They‘re having a good day!

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley
@soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 1mo

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks
@Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 1mo

BarbaraBB @CarolynM
@Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks
@AnneCecilie
@fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 1mo

See All 27 Comments

Hooked_on_books Unsurprising. And I can‘t really be disappointed, since PE is fantastic. But I do so love Book Censor! 1mo

Bookwormjillk I‘m not surprised either. I liked James so I don‘t think this is a bad outcome but since it seems like it has won everything already this year I voted for Book Censor to advance. I like an underdog. 1mo

Jas16 I would honestly not mind seeing James win the tournament. I love that book and PE so much. 4w

ImperfectCJ This is one I waffled on. I love James, but like @Bookwormjillk , it's already gotten so much love, I kind of wanted to vote for Book Censor. I ended up going with James, but I almost wish it hadn't been in the shortlist at all so that other titles had more of a chance. 4w

ImperfectCJ Case in point: I just found out that James won the Golden Poppy Award, too: https://caminobks.shelf-awareness.com/golden-poppy-awards-2024 4w

sarahbarnes Yay!! ♥️ 4w

Jas16 @ImperfectCJ I hear what you are saying and I think that is why I did not vote for it to win the overall tournament. But I also didn‘t love Book Censor the way everyone else seemed to. 4w

Deblovestoread I enjoyed Book Censor, such a unique story. I still voted for James because it will stay with me longer and PE is a master story teller. 4w

BkClubCare @Jas16 - I appreciate The Book Censor more than “enjoy”; I felt a remove from it, a distance that I couldn‘t pinpoint but to me, it hit the head but not much of my heart. 4w

squirrelbrain Like you @jas16 I didn‘t love Book Censor as much as everyone else, although I did like it. Although I voted for James I agree with you @ImperfectCJ - it may have been better for James not to be in the tournament at all. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures I was sad it was up against Book Censor, I think James should win all of the things, but I also enjoyed Book Censor and thought it should be against something bad so it could get further along! 4w

ImperfectCJ @squirrelbrain @Jas16 I definitely think James is the "better" book (it's stuck with me more, that's for sure), but in the ToB it feels a little like if Meryl Streep were up for a community theater award. That's a more extreme example than the reality, but it gets the idea across. 4w

Well-ReadNeck Loved reading this judgment. I feel much the same and echoed here that James is such a touted book, I almost want to root against but then I just loved it and all of its nuances. 4w

BarbaraBB I love Percival Everett but James not so much. I preferred the concept of The Book Censor but in the end the story fell a bit short so I was very hesitant in the end and chose James. 4w

Lesliereadsalot I knew nothing about James when I started reading it, even with all its hype and awards. I was shocked how drawn in I was, how powerful that book felt to me. Glad to see others agreed! Will have to read the Book Censor now, so many loved it. 4w

AmyG Well, I now have to read The Book Censor. I did love James. 4w

Megabooks It was so tight between these two. It was the only round I had to put some thought into. 4w

Butterfinger I never thought about the accolades that James already received till @ImperfectCJ mentioned it. That makes so much sense. I voted based on my reactions to the books. I will definitely keep this in mind for future tournaments. 4w

GatheringBooks I honestly don‘t remember which one i voted for. Like @ImperfectCJ I wanted to give other titles more love seeing how lauded James is. Yet, I also agree with @BkClubCare abt the detachment of Book Censor. I felt that the Kuwaiti author could have used more culture-specific elements rather than make it a generic dystopian universe. Reviewed it here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-r3x 4w

GatheringBooks I may have voted for Book Censor as a zombie title knowing it will not win against James. Cannot remember anymore though, lols. 4w

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG It‘s worth reading! Although I agree with @GatheringBooks that it could have used more Kuwaiti elements. 4w

BarbaraBB @Megabooks Most of the rounds were very easy indeed. The quarter finals will be more difficult, fortunately! 4w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB or unfortunately!! We‘ll definitely see some good books lose. 😕 4w

BarbaraBB @Megabooks That‘s true. Next round will be hard! 4w

71 likes27 comments

BarbaraBB

Time of the Child | Niall Williams

bailed

I‘d never thought I‘d bail on a Niall Williams but there you are. I am a hundred pages in and have read about dozens of people whose names and background I can‘t remember. The book is so slow, the sentences so long and the promised child hasn‘t even showed up yet! It‘s probably me but I feel too impatient to stick with it. #FoodAndLit 🇮🇪

Texreader, Catsandbooks

Gleefulreader Oof - it‘s so sad when an author you love disappoints! 1mo

sarahbarnes I‘ve never read any of his writing. I‘m sorry this one didn‘t work for you. 1mo

AnneCecilie Some times a book just isn‘t for you, even if it‘s by a favorite author 1mo

See All 7 Comments

Suet624 Oh no! Barbara! This is tough news. It‘s sitting in my pile of books just waiting for me. 4w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 I know! And I hope you will love it. It‘s just - so slow. Sometimes I love that but this time I couldn‘t 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4w

Suet624 Yeah, I understand that. 4w

Catsandbooks Life's too short for books you don't like 3w

72 likes7 comments

BarbaraBB

The Wedding People: A Novel | Alison Espach

#LitsyToB25 We have started and it won‘t come as a surprise that The Wedding People is our winner in the play-in round. There has been so much love for this book on Litsy!
Not in the real #ToB though, where Liars wins!
Among us Liars got only 4 votes (by Charity, Chelsea, Helen and Kristy) and is definitely out: it has no zombie votes.
All Fours got 4 votes too (by Sarah, Sue, AnneCecilie and Barbara), but will it be enough? We‘ll soon find out!

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @cariashley @Soscha @AmyG @squirrelbrain @butterfinger @kspenmoll @lesliereadsalot 1mo

BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures @kwmg40 @GatheringBooks
@Deblovestoread @Jas16 @BkClubCare @sarahbarnes 1mo

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @Kristy_K @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks
@AnneCecilie @fredthemoose @Well-ReadNeck 1mo

See All 38 Comments

GatheringBooks I am so thrilled this novel won! I super enjoyed it! 1mo

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks Me too, I unexpectedly liked it much more than I thought I would. I liked Liars too but All Fours was my favorite. I am sorry these three good ones had to end up in the play-in round. And I can certainly live with The Wedding People continuing in our tournament! 1mo

BkClubCare I am thrilled it is ToB time! And quite happy that WeddingPeeps will continue here. I am also just fine with Liars moving on. I just enjoy all of it! 1mo

BarbaraBB @BkClubCare I think we couldn‘t go wrong today. I liked all three of them! 1mo

kwmg40 I‘m happy that Wedding People will be moving on but not disappointed that Liars is progressing in the real tournament. I liked both books. 1mo

Bookwormjillk I haven't read Wedding People or Liars but they both sounds good! I'll have to prioritize Wedding People. 1mo

Jas16 I was surprised by how much I liked Wedding People too. I am so happy to see it advancing in our tournament. 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures Yay! I liked All 4s also but Wedding really surprised me with the complexity of it all. I tried the first few pages of Liars then got distracted and I had to return it to the library with all the love for it I will have to try again 1mo

Hooked_on_books Thank goodness AF didn‘t progress in the official tourney! (And may it not rise again.) I liked both WP and L and can understand the judge‘s rationale for choosing Liars. It‘s a gut punch of a book. I‘m glad we picked WP—it‘s delightful, complex, and charming. 1mo

AmyG Same as a few others. I was so surprised by how much I loved The Wedding People. 1mo

Deblovestoread I, too, didn‘t expect to love WP as much as I did. Still need to read Liars. So happy to have TOB to start my day! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books Do you want to talk a bit more about All Fours 😂?! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread Yes me too! It‘s a nice distraction other news! 1mo

sarahbarnes Happy to see WP win this - a really lovely book. 1mo

GatheringBooks Found liars to be relentlessly depressing, and self-deprecating which is sometimes good - but only to a certain point. I am glad there is a redemptive quality to it in the end. I am with @BarbaraBB about all fours. I truly enjoyed its unapologetic perimenopausal vibes. 1mo

ImperfectCJ I'm cool with Wedding People moving ahead on our ToB, especially since my beloved Liars made it in the "official" tournament. :-) Maybe it's weird to cheer for a depressing book, but to that I say, "Yay!" So excited that we're in ToB time again! 1mo

cariashley Happy and not surprised about WP winning here, and not surprised about it not advancing in the official tournament. I have to read the full judgment but wondering if it was seen as too contemporary/not literary enough. I loved it so much more than I expected! 1mo

BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ I‘m also all for a depressing read and I did like Liars for that reason but I was a bit annoyed by the main characters: he is horrible but she almost encourages him to be. 1mo

BarbaraBB @cariashley I wouldn‘t call it literature either but it was such an entertaining and engaging read!! 1mo

Megabooks All three books were picks for me, but TWP was definitely my fave. Loved our CL discussion of All Fours, though! 1mo

Megabooks @GatheringBooks I endeavor to be unapologetically perimenopausal every day!!! 😂😂👍🏻 1mo

Lesliereadsalot Lots of comments here already! The Wedding People is the type of book that makes everyone feel good just by reading it. A fun story, realistic people who speak the way real people speak, and an uplifting ending. Not too deep, but highly entertaining. Liars, on the other hand, so depressing and realistic that I could only shake my head while reading it. Hard to forget either of these two books. 1mo

BarbaraBB @Megabooks @GatheringBooks A good expression 💪🏽 1mo

BarbaraBB @Megabooks I loved that discussion too but it seems so long ago. All Fours and James too have lost their momentum imo 1mo

Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB NO! 1mo

squirrelbrain I agree with both of you @imperfectcj and @cariashley - I loved Wedding People and was torn between voting for that or Liars. I eventually chose Liars - only because I felt it was more of a ToB book. But we get the best of both worlds by having our own tournament too! 1mo

Butterfinger This is my first year participating. For next year, I will know to read the play-ins first. Wedding People is the only one I have read, and that just the first quarter. 1mo

Well-ReadNeck I thought the judge‘s narrative was interesting, but I‘m in no way convinced. I thought TWP was surprising and I much preferred it to the others. Liars would have been my last choice of the three. So interesting to see other opinions 1mo

Gissy I forgot to vote but I only finished 4 books: my favorite was Martyr. I didn‘t love Wedding Peope🤷🏽‍♀️ (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Gissy We‘ll miss you! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Well-ReadNeck I wasn‘t that convinced either although I did like Liars. But I love the different opinions during the #ToB! (edited) 1mo

Gissy @BarbaraBB I will continue reading the books listed because I bought some of them and there are others I‘m so interested based on the comments. I also read The Extinction of Irena Rey, Margo‘s got Money Trouble😳😬and Orbit which I liked. But these first months have been so busy that I have to slow down my reading pace😩and I‘m already a slow reader😔 1mo

Suet624 I remember that while reading Wedding People I kept commenting to myself, “Wow, I wasn‘t expecting this!” It was so much better than I was expecting it to be. 1mo

CarolynM Glad to see The Wedding People go through in the Litsy tournament and even more glad to see All Fours missing out in both😆 I haven‘t read Liars but I‘m going to now. 4w

BarbaraBB @CarolynM 😂😂 4w

72 likes38 comments

BarbaraBB

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

Look at all those unread books. And yet I can't imagine that I haven't read my favorite book of the year already. Charlotte McConaghy did it again.
Dom and his kids live on a remote island and look after a seed vault with all kinds of species in it for when the world needs them. But the water rises and then a woman washes up.
Again, nature is the main, awesome character. But the human characters, dialogues and the plot are fabulous too ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

AmyG Oh boy! I will need to sit with this and drive myself crazy with anticipation. 🤣 1mo

squirrelbrain Wow, fabulous review! 1mo

BarbaraBB @AmyG @squirrelbrain I can only say read it ‼️ 1mo

See All 16 Comments

Deblovestoread My preordered copy is slowly making its way to my door. If you loved I know I will, too. Waiting is hard 😁 1mo

bookandbedandtea I am really looking forward to this one! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread I am sure you will and will look forward to your review 1mo

BarbaraBB @bookandbedandtea I hope you‘ll get to it soon! 1mo

sarahbarnes Yay!! So glad you thought it was good! I can‘t wait to read it 1mo

jdiehr This is my botm choice that should arrive in my 📬 today! 1mo

Cathythoughts Great review! I have it stacked … 1mo

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes @Cathythoughts You‘ll both love it ❤️ 1mo

BarbaraBB @jdiehr Lucky you! I hope you‘ll enjoy it as much as I did! (edited) 1mo

Megabooks I have the audio out from the library. I think it will be up next!! 1mo

Chelsea.Poole So glad to hear it‘s another hit. She‘s one of my favorites too! 1mo

Suet624 Great review. Can‘t wait to find the book. 4w

CBee I cannot WAIT to get to this one. 3w

95 likes9 stack adds16 comments

BarbaraBB

Road Ends: A Novel | Mary Lawson

pick

Megan wants to leave her home in Canada, where she is responsible for taking care of her many siblings and her parents. She‘s young and London is calling.
This books follows her in her new life, as well as her brother and father. Nothing much happens but it all feels very true and Mary Lawson is a gifted writer.

TrishB Lovely pic too ♥️ 1mo

Tamra ❤️ Lawson 1mo

JuniperWilde I was just thinking about this book tonight. It‘s on my list and I‘ll pick it up as my next read. 🇨🇦❤️ 1mo

Cathythoughts Lovely review ❤️ I remember loving A Town Called Solace. I must get back to her. 1mo

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts I loved that one too! 1mo

84 likes5 comments

BarbaraBB

Time of the Child | Niall Williams

#WeeklyForecast 10/25

I am completely absorbed by Wild Dark Shore. I am reading it slowly because I don‘t want it to end. It‘s so good again!
The tagged is my choice for #FoodAndLit 🇮🇪 and Help Wanted is from the #ToB longlist. Road Ends I am mixing audio with print.
In the mean time I am waiting for the ordered #InternationalBooker longlisted books, for the #WP #fiction longlist and for the start of the #LitsyToB25.

Living the life 😜💕

AmyG I am so excited to get it. I want to save it for my July vacation but I doubt it will make it. 🤣 1mo

BarbaraBB @AmyG It‘s not possible I‘m afraid. Every page is again so good. Nature everywhere, great characters… so far it lives up to my extremely high expectations! 1mo

squirrelbrain I‘m jealous you got Wild Dark Shore already! 1mo

BarbaraBB Rightly so 😉 didn‘t you preorder it? @squirrelbrain (edited) 1mo

67 likes1 stack add4 comments

BarbaraBB

The Test | Sylvain Neuvel

#WeeklyFavorites

I read a bit disappointing books during my holiday, except for this one that is so original and also made me think about today‘s world a lot.
My favorite of the month however must be Poor Deer.

Read4life

Addison_Reads I really liked Poor Deer, too! 1mo

Read4life Looks like a highly enjoyable reading month!! 💙🩷💙 1mo

57 likes2 comments

BarbaraBB

Perfection | Vincenzo Latronico

pick

Tom and Anna are Italian graphic designers, who moved to Berlin because it‘s the place to be. They live a life that confronts me with living in Amsterdam: all the trends, the hip & happening, the urban nomads, the gentrification, the coffee everywhere, the underground raves, the emptiness of it all. A mirror for me of who I used to be not that long ago. A great start of the #InternationalBooker longlist!

#FictionalTraveler #BigCity

julieclair

Kitta Ooo stacked! 1mo

squirrelbrain Great review! ❤️ 1mo

sarahbarnes Great review! So glad to see this one is a pick for you - I have a hold on it at the library and it‘s one I‘m really looking forward to! 😀 1mo

See All 13 Comments

Cathythoughts Great review Barbara ❤️ 1mo

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @sarahbarnes @Cathythoughts Thank you! 1mo

CarolynM Great review. Stacked🙂 1mo

youneverarrived Sounds great. Love your review. 1mo

julieclair Excellent review! Stacked. 1mo

BarbaraBB @CarolynM @youneverarrived @julieclair Thanks! I hope you‘ll like it if you get to it. 1mo

Suet624 Who you were and who you are now ….. 💕 4w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 🩷 4w

BarbaraBB #ReadTheWorld2025 book 7 #Germany @GatheringBooks (edited) 3w

GatheringBooks Wow! 7th book already! Awesome. This sounds like a depressing read. 💕 3w

82 likes7 stack adds13 comments

BarbaraBB

February | June Makle

#FebruaryStats
Not my most satisfying month.

4.25⭐️
Poor Deer
4⭐️
Point Zero
The Test
3.75⭐️
The Last Murder at the End of the World
3.5⭐️
Daddy‘s Gone A-Hunting
Liars
3.25⭐️
The Miniaturist
Deep Water
3⭐️
The Invisible Hotel
The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories
Wayward
The Book of George
2.75⭐️
Bury Your Gays
2.5⭐️
Weather Underwater
2⭐️
Gliff

DNF
Oroppa

thegirlwiththelibrarybag Those plus features are a little bit brutal 😅 1mo

Cathythoughts I loved Poor Deer and Point Zero 👍🏻👍🏻 1mo

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts We‘re loving a lot of similar books at the moment! 1mo

See All 10 Comments

Cathythoughts I‘m loving the Japanese writing ❤️ As soon as Bookclub duties are done , Im going back to Japan. 1mo

kspenmoll 👍🏻👍🏻 1mo

JamieArc It‘s interesting that you read 16 books but your average time to finish a book is 13 days. Do you tend to be reading a lot of books at once? 1mo

BarbaraBB @JamieArc That is weird indeed. I guess it‘s the Japanese short stories, I read those on and off for about six months. 1mo

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts I have some more Japanese books to read too. They are always a comfort, even the thrillers. 1mo

Megabooks I have poor deer and should get to it if you enjoyed it that much! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Megabooks I think you‘ll be as charmed by it as I was! 1mo

58 likes10 comments

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Joined June 2017