Surreal and splendid. #Gladstones24

One of the very few pairs of matching socks I packed. 😬 #Gladstones24

Just finishing up 3 absolutely glorious days at the happiest place on Earth. Thank you so much ladies for a truly spectacular weekend. 😘 #Gladstones24 #GladstoneNerds

I was somewhat distracted by LIFE while reading this and I while I liked it, I didn‘t love it like I thought I would. I found the script portions to be superfluous and was bored to tears with any discussion of Olwen or Nell‘s work. But I do love a “sisters have messy ass relationships” story so it ultimately worked for me. #CampLitsy24

A pretty perfect summer novel. I felt like I was on vacation with this clan.

Pretty batshit but I‘m firmly in the “liked it a bunch” camp. I‘m not sure what that says about me. #CampLitsy24

It‘s a trainwreck I can‘t look away from. #CampLitsy24

Not only is Liz Moore an auto-buy author for me, she‘s pretty much an auto-5 star author. I‘ve read all but 1 of her books and I have adored each and every one. She is just phenomenal.

Wow. Just…WOW.

#CampLitsy24

A light pick. Definitely a case of false advertising. There wasn‘t nearly enough murder talk. But I do enjoy food writing and was invested in Rika‘s journey. It just went on a tad too long. #CampLitsy24

Pleads guilty to stalking a woman. Sounds about right. 😤

Oops, I did it again.

#bookhaul #bookmail

I just turned over my UK paperback copy of Butter and now I seriously can not stop laughing. #CampLitsy24

Utterly lovely, quietly devastating. #ProcrastinatorsDoItBetter #CampLitsy

It‘s been a minute since I‘ve read a book in a single sitting but I literally couldn‘t put this down today. I loathe social media and influencers and the pitchforks brigade but for some reason will gobble up fictional narratives of their toxicity like ice cream. Incredibly compelling.

Unbelievably powerful. I‘m not a Rushdie super fan, because I haven‘t read all that much of his work, but was shocked and saddened when I learned of this attack. A lot of this resonated with me for personal reasons but even setting that aside, this was a remarkable portrait of physical and psychological healing.

This book is absolutely brutal.

Camping supplies coming in. And a couple of extras just because. #CampLitsy #bookmail

Holy. Moly. Exhausting, maddening, visceral, raw. Absolutely astonishing.

Indie Bookstore Day haul. Top is a free ARC and Family Lore I found in a LFL on the way home. Support your local bookshops, folks! 📚📚📚

I‘ve spent way too much time obsessing over this!

#CampLitsy24

Welp! Another disappointing sophomore effort. There were elements I really enjoyed, but this felt like it could have used more cooking before serving. I will still eagerly read whatever she writes next.

I ❤️ weekends.

Only 1 thing to do when it‘s pouring.

This was a sneaky little bugger. Presents as a straightforward mystery but is really a heartbreaking portrait of a family suffering from addiction, poverty, abuse, and neglect. I could have easily read about them for another 200 pages. #womensprizeforfiction

I absolutely loved Miracle Creek so this was definitely a “sophomore slump” for me. While I appreciated the care she took in portraying Angelman Syndrome families, I think centering the novel from Mia‘s perspective was a mistake. I wanted insight into John and Hannah‘s thoughts too. The footnotes were a distraction.

He gets it.

Desperately trying to get into something ANYTHING but I fear I‘m too distracted for this. Maybe I‘m just distracted by the tacos. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I wish this had received more attention when it was published last year. While I still found myself exceedingly frustrated by the MC, there was a lot of heart and humor here. But damn, you 20-somethings make piss poor decisions. 😜 A soft pick.

Heads up US-based #LitsyTOB24 procrastinators like me! #KindleDailyDeal

I read this novelization of Suzie Miller‘s 1 woman show in a single sitting yesterday. Intense doesn‘t even begin to describe it. I was fortunate to have seen the play on Broadway and this expands on that, giving larger roles to Tessa‘s mum, brother, friends and co-workers. But this is still very much Tessa‘s story. Her heartbreak, fear, and RAGE are palpable. Highly recommended but please tread carefully.

A true crime fictionalization that rather snuck up on me. I knew nothing about the case itself (and recommend going in blind) but the care with which Kyriacou drew these characters was really something. It‘s a gripping page-turner but it‘s also just a really lovely character study and a damning indictment of the British justice system. 👍🏼

I read The Hours at a very formative time in my life and it moved and changed me profoundly. I‘ve been sort of chasing that high with Cunningham ever since. And finally here, 20 years later, he has done it again. Devastatingly good.

Why Percival Everett is not one of the biggest names in literature is beyond me. The man is a genius and I‘m basing that on the TWO books I‘ve read. I‘m thrilled that I have such an extensive backlist to savor. No one does satire better.

The first book from Gillian Flynn‘s imprint? And it‘s about a queer, tattooed, chain-smoking nun?

SOLD!

I went into this with mild trepidation as I haven‘t really been getting along with novels about 20-somethings lately. But I needn‘t have worried. This is a confident and compelling debut that sheds light on “sugar babies” and the world they inhabit. Saintclare weaves race, class, and religion into the narrative in a totally organic and compelling way. Nice pick @AardvarkBookClub !

After reading 2 books that shattered me back-to-back, I knew I needed a frothy and fun palate cleanser. Abbi Waxman always fits that bill. And bonus: Nina Hill appears in this one too!

Heads up U.S. #LitsyTOB24! #KindleDailyDeal

Thus far 2024 has been the year of reading emotionally devastating books. I don‘t know if it was the title that had me expecting something else, but this is one that will stay with me for a very long time. Just exquisite.

I wanted to ease into 2024 with something warm and familiar. As always, Osman did not disappoint but he also stuck a knife in my heart and twisted it a few times for good measure.

It‘s been a minute since I‘ve had the time and mental wherewithal to do a single sitting read. This isn‘t great literature but was sufficiently creepy and fast-paced to keep me glued to the screen today. Thankful I finished it before sunset. 👍🏼

Does anyone write about marriage and family better? I had to set this aside over Christmas as I needed total silence and full immersion. While it isn‘t my favorite of hers, her mind is a marvel. 👍🏼

Merry Christmas, Litsy fam!

This was great fun. Exactly the type of witty, twisty, satirical brain candy I needed to get through the slog this week. And now, freedom!

This was fun to dip into over the course of the week BUT at about 2/3 of the way through, she completely abandons the Christmas theme. The stories were still enjoyable, it just seemed odd. Still a pick as she is a master.

This seems like just the type of fun, snarky, “rich people behaving badly” novel I need in my life right now. #bookmail

Cosby is an auto-buy author for me. His writing is just so assured and propulsive and damn near cinematic. I loved every page. Just *chef‘s kiss*

This list is…not good. 😒 #TOB24

https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/the-2024-shortlist

I did NOT expect to enjoy this as much as I did seeing as I‘m almost 30 years out of high school. But I found it to be really witty and touching. My only quibble was wanting to spend more time with Fay and Nell in adulthood. #TOB24

Little mac ‘n cheese before diving back into the TOB longlist. It‘s so wonderful to have such a reliable friend. I hope Angela writes this series forever. ❤️