Welcome to Litsy!

I was indifferent. The whole time. Couldn‘t bring myself to care. The writing was evocative at times. But on the whole…indifferent

Hard to follow The Outsiders with anything.

Claudia starts writing to Kendall in the hopes of gaining his trust and getting some answers to what makes him tick. Kendall and Claudia develop a kind of friendship. It was so interesting to see how their relationship developed and how even though she never got all the answers from him that she was hoping for she was able to remain in control of their relationship and walk away safely when she needed to. Hard to put down!

A unique take on true crime that not only focuses on the serial killer, Kendall Francois, but also delves deeply into the author's life and history. Rowe writes not only of corresponding with Kendall and hoping to learn what drove him to kill eight women and hide them in the home he lived in with his parents and younger sister, but also of her broken relationships and what she learned of herself through this correspondence. Recommend! 4🌟

Interesting account of a reporter‘s correspondence with a serial killer, though ultimately unsatisfying, as we are told how much the reporter changed and grew but not shown. 🤷🏻‍♀️ the writing is good enough to tip this into a pick instead of a so-so. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

#24in48

Grandma was a smart lady!
#wordsofwisdom

So....in true 'Me' fashion....I've completely given up on my #januarytbr. I read one book off it so far. I'll count it as a win 😁 I took a break to read some amazing fantasy books but now I have to go back to the dark side. I'm looking forward to this one!!
#currentread

Here is a link to my review on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2179472173. I got this book just before my birthday back in January. @WilliamMorrow Thank you for the ARC.

Time for some November Non-Fiction.

Reading this one tonight. I want to read Dear Fahrenheit 451, but can't pick it up at the library until Tuesday, since it's closed today and tomorrow. First world bookish problems.

A definite must ready for true crime lovers. About a lesser known serial killer (at least for me) and the mind journey that comes when you start getting too deep into the subject at hand. Riveting and told from a beautifully personal point of view that makes this true crime novel wonderful to read and what sets it apart from others.

This book is a MUST if you love true crime. Mrs. Rowe's writing is addictive I could not put it down! Not only do we get such a different perspective on the serial killer mind but we also get to join her on her own struggle of settling with her past and finding her own voice. Loved it.

More true crime! But this one is less about the murders, more about the relationship Claudia (a reporter) has with the killer after he's convicted. My only complaint is that she talks about his size/weight a LOT. Like, way more than necessary.

Unfortunately, this book was not what I expected. It's not bad, but I found myself being bored. I think for me, I just didn't care about the authors experience as a journalist and her connections and was looking more for a true crime novel that read like Helter Skelter. I would suggest this book, but it comes with a lot of "buts".

Just finished this memoir/true crime story on audio. It's set in the city where I grew up, Poughkeepsie, New York, and details the author's correspondence with the serial killer Kendall Francois.

I haven't yet processed all my thoughts about it. I've heard about the case since I was a kid, but didn't know all the details until now. I'm certain I've driven by Francois's family home many times without realizing. It's a strange feeling.

#24in48

I've been battling a yucky stomach bug all week, but it's caused all my weekend duties to be cancelled. So I'm a last minute #24in48 signup and my TBR pile reflects that. Lots of lightweight (literally Bc I'm still a weak wimp right now lol) comics and some of my library books that I need to finish! Probably the first time a stomach bug has made my life better. 😏

Well done #bookstr, you nailed my life in a single picture
#currentmood #currentread

The subtitle is misleading. There is no answer to the meaning of murder. Most of the book centers on the author and I couldn't care less about her, her marriage, or her jobs.

Just started this #audiobook. So far, nothing special... 🎧

Work read, I'm pretty excited to get this one going!

#TBRtemptation post! This just-released book is getting a lot of attention. September, 1998, young reporter Claudia Rowe was working for the NYT's in Poughkeepsie, NY, when police found the bodies of 8 women stashed under the house of polite 27-year-old college student Kendall Francois. Rowe wanted to know how a man could do that, & how his family didn't know about the bodies under their house. This is what she learned. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Because why not? A little self-care on an overcast Saturday morning.

Last but not least for today, we had a gift card to B&N plus coupons. But, believe it or not we only got 4 books from there, plus Kaysen's Button book, a bookmark, and her fox. THEN we went to BAM! Where they happened to be stocking their "just bought back" section and almost every single book was $0.50 or $1.00. She got another book, I got 2 more bookmarks, & our biggest was the Dinosaur Encyclopedia. Still only $15! #BookHaul

New #bookreview at www.theirregularreaderblog.wordpress.com! The Spider and the Fly is an intriguing, nonfiction look at the relationship between a reporter and a serial killer!

I keep wondering how this got a Gillian Flynn endorsement. I was around when this story broke- a Poughkeepsie man kills 8 women and stores them in his attic where his family lived underneath. The writing was pretty rough, the descriptions inaccurate (Pough. is not a backwater small town), and so it was hard to believe her story. I try not to use pan ever, but I did not like this one at all.

When you start reading a book for review and it takes place where you have lived and during the time you lived there, but the city being described is nothing like the city you lived in. She describes 1990s Poughkeepsie as a small town, teeming with $10 hookers, and tons of drug users. It must be that way because PO is predominantly black, right? How did she get a Gillian Flynn quote? This book is not good so far.

#bookmail post #1. I just got this from @HarperCollins . Thank you. I can't wait to dig into this one.

Aa Pulitzer Prize nominated Journalist her unusual connection to a serial killer a modern day In Cold Blood sounds fascinating chilling eerie,

I haven't posted in a while because I've been in a real reading funk. I brought this home for the weekend to try to snap out of it. Mission accomplished! It's super creepy, especially because it takes place in the late 90s in Poughkeepsie, NY, right around the corner from Vassar, where I started in 2001. I already don't want to put it down.

I don't know about this one, guys. Are nonfiction books allowed to have unreliable narrators? I NEED MORE OPINIONS. 💀

Sweet dreams, Littens. Happy reading. 😘📚🤘🏻

Tonight's reading. Really-really into crime books, heavy metal, and video games lately. If I start watching Perfect Strangers, I will have achieved peak midlife crisis, I think. 😝