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Motherhood
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
Motherhood treats one of the most consequential decisions of early adulthood whether or not to have children with the intelligence, wit and originality that have won Sheila Heti international acclaim. Having reached an age when most of her peers are asking themselves when they will become mothers, Hetis narrator considers, with the same urgency, the question of whether she will do so at all. Over the course of several years, under the influence of her partner, her body, her family, mysticism and chance, Heti's narrator struggles to make a wise and meaningful choice. In the semi-diaristic mode of a woman in conversation with herself, Motherhood raises radical and essential questions, including whether this pivotal decision can even be considered a decision at all.
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review
AnneCecilie
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

In this novel our protagonist is in her mid/late 30s and trying to make a decision to whether she wants to have kids or not. And in this process she is also looking at the expectations from you friends, family and society. Because what use is a childless woman to the society? And are women with children the ones pushing childless women the most to have children as a validation of their own choices? This book gave me a lot to think about.

56 likes3 stack adds
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cariashley
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

I can see that this book wouldn‘t be for everyone, but it spoke to my deepest anxieties and ambivalence about having children in a way no other book has. Highly recommend for anyone in their 30s still wrestling with this. Just don‘t expect this “novel” to feel traditional in any way - there‘s really no plot, it‘s straight auto fiction and stream of consciousness. Worked very well on audio.

BarbaraBB Beautiful review 🤍 3y
cariashley @BarbaraBB thank you Barbara. This was a very personal read for me 💛 3y
BarbaraBB It shows. And I hope the book was of help to you 😘 3y
40 likes3 comments
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PNWBookseller85
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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My boys came to visit me at work on Mother‘s Day. Love having them come by the shop and being able to show them the shelf talkers on the books we‘ve read together.

BarbaraBB Lovely picture. So cute. 😍 3y
Tera66 Great Picture! 3y
89 likes2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Mehso-so

Thís just wasn't for me. It's well written and it's an interesting exploration of the complexities of deciding whether or not to have children, and the specific pressures on women, but it was all a bit woo-woo for me. I didn't like the question-answer 'coins of the universe' bits, the dream analysis felt over-introspective and the details about her sex life felt gratuitous.

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arlenefinnigan
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Next up

27 likes1 stack add
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amyf0x
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Mehso-so

As she nears her 40th birthday, Heti struggles with the emotional, physical and psychological factors at play in whether to have a child.

Read June 16-23
Book 34/55

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Simona
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Mehso-so

To have or to not have a child? Although this is a topic that addresses me at a very personal level, this book has left me quite indifferent. Some provocative thoughts, sharp observation, an interesting structure, but both - the content and the structure become over time too repetitive. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

BarbaraBB That‘s a pity, the subject seems interesting. 5y
Simona @BarbaraBB Definitely is a thought provoking theme, but unfortunately execution wasn‘t so interesting... 5y
58 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Simona
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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I modified my goals in week 2 - Friday is my rest day, I also tried to slightly increase my walking distance.
Bookish goals: 2 books - I finished two books, but I‘m still behind for one printed book, because of the doorstopper from week 1. Fitness goals: 21km ➡️ 26,9 km, workouts for 3 hours ➡️ 2h30 min, and I couldn‘t went to yoga class this week, because of the working schedule. Not hugely successful week, but I‘m still glad with my progress 😊

wanderinglynn You‘re making great progress! Way to go! 🙌🏻 5y
Simona @wanderinglynn Thank you 😊 5y
See All 11 Comments
BookwormAHN Great job 👏🏻 5y
Read4life You did great! Keep it up. 🤓💙 5y
DivineDiana Good job! 👏🏻👍🏻👏🏻 5y
VanChocStrawberry That looks awesome!! 👏👏 5y
Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
Caterina Sounds like great progress! Keep it up! 🎉 ❤ 5y
BarbaraJean You‘re making progress, and that‘s what matters! Great work! 5y
guinsgirlreads Great job and progress! 5y
47 likes11 comments
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Simona
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Audio companion for next #BFC week, thought provoking book on gloomy day 🌥☔️

BookwormAHN So cute 💙 5y
57 likes1 comment
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Toniyesss
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

Finished this while camping! I loved it overall. I enjoyed the unique format going between her inner thoughts, recounting history and interactions, and questioning the coins. She touches on important individual and societal considerations about the role of mothers. I enjoyed following along as she thought things through.

candority I did a writing workshop with the author, and she had us ask the coins questions during an exercise. She really uses that method in her everyday life - it‘s so fascinating! 6y
Toniyesss @candority That‘s so cool! I liked that she saw them as random, but they still pushed her to examine her reactions and reframe questions in ways she may not have otherwise. I use tarot cards sometimes in much the same way - a projective tool to work through something you‘re thinking about. It was interesting to see in a book - especially the answers the coins gave to some of her more powerful questions 6y
BooksForEmpathy Where were you camping?? 6y
Toniyesss @BooksForEmpathy over by Morro Bay! Nice little spot in the hills but about 10 min from the beach. I had a random Monday off so we spent a couple days and hiked and hung out and read and played games. It was so lovely 6y
5 likes4 comments
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Toniyesss
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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This book is really resonating with me. Some have called it navelgazing but for me it perfectly captures the inner conflict of a 30-something woman considering having a baby (aka me). I‘ve underlined about half the book saying YESSSS. For now, Miss Kitty makes the perfect reading partner. #catsoflitsy

BooksForEmpathy I loved this book. 6y
6 likes1 comment
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academiconbreak
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Bailedbailed

I was determined to finish this book but realized somewhere past p.100 that I wasn't just finding Heti's pretentious, insight-sparse navel-gazing annoying, but was physically stressed and seized up by my agitation with her. That was my limit--after all, my leisure time is precious. It is a shame that the first(?) literary exploration of ambiguity in the face of motherhood had to come from someone whose thoughts are so hollow.

academiconbreak To treat her subject as an intellectual exercise rather than a live problem just cannot open a window into a human dilemma. This is what I sensed about Heti's ultimate motivations-- it just didn't seem like she was actually in a place of ambiguity about motherhood. I think many media critics lauded the book simply for the fact that a book like this was written, but that just wasn't enough for me. 6y
AntoinetteBuchanan Could not agree more! I tried with this one but it was annoyingly contrived. 6y
12 likes2 comments
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Kazzie
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
Pickpick

True look at reality of NOT having a baby

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academiconbreak
Motherhood | Sheila Heti

I'd been avoiding Heti but this book abt ambiguity in the face of motherhood hits close to home. It's now on hold at the library. However... I was in a book shop and read: "...there was half a hotdog on the table and I called it a banana"... I found it annoying on the first page! Reminded of this crotchety article about today's self-congratulatory literary stars: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/07/a-readers-manifesto/302270/

candority There were definitely some good things in Motherhood, but it wasn‘t what I expected. 6y
academiconbreak I will definitely still give it a more concerted chance when I get it from the library! Curious... What were you expecting? @candority 6y
candority @academiconbreak Hopefully you like it! I found Heti‘s writing style a bit difficult to immerse myself in (it was often circular and rambled too much). There were lines and ideas that resonated with me, but I‘m not sure it was worth the time and effort of reading the entire book for the few scraps of brilliance. 6y
academiconbreak That sounds fair! Thanks for sharing! 6y
13 likes4 comments
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Bookalong
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
For this beautifully written, honest and insightful book! The hype is real!
#bookreview #bookblogger #bookblog

saltwaterlit I have this in my TBR pile - it looks great! 6y
Bookalong @saltwaterlit Enjoy!! It soo good! 6y
23 likes1 stack add2 comments
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AnneCecilie
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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New year, #newbeginnings. A new reading stack for the first month of the new year. This is quite the ambitious tbr for me, but I‘m off work until the 7th and hope to make good progress on this before I‘m back at work.

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merelybookish
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Four of my favourite #standalones from the last year. #bookishrewind2018.

BarbaraJean The Name of the Rose is SO good!! 6y
Eggs ♥️♥️A M Lindbergh 6y
Cathythoughts I don‘t think I‘ve read any. I did try The Name Of the Rose ... I must go back to it 👍🏻♥️ 6y
See All 8 Comments
LazyDays How did you like ? 6y
LazyDays Ive had it for a while now. Just can't seem to start it. 6y
merelybookish @LazyDays I loved it but was a case of right book, right time. She explores creativity and solitude while being married with kids. I found it helpful. 6y
merelybookish @BarbaraJean I know! It just sucked me in! @Cathythoughts Historical mystery is not my usual cuppa but Name of the Rose was a great read! 6y
merelybookish @Eggs I know! She feels a bit like a kindred spirit. 6y
76 likes2 stack adds8 comments
review
Kimchacha
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
Pickpick

With this book I felt the author was peering into my soul and beautifully articulated the questions swirling in my mind about motherhood.

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Chelsea.Poole
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Mehso-so

My boys have allowed me to know motherhood. It's certainly the biggest part of my life in both incredibly joyful and also exhausting ways. I found some moments of truth in this novel. The narrator flips a coin throughout the book, questioning herself about staying with her boyfriend, writing a book, and of course, most pressing...if she should have children or not. This book has been popping up in several "best of" lists.

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Kempii
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Bailedbailed

Horrible. It‘s a short book, but even then I could not force myself to finish it. It presents what I would guess it considers maternal wisdom though a long series of Yes/No questions answered arbitrarily by a coin flip. I don‘t understand the structure or purpose of the book.

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Joanne1
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
Panpan

The one redeeming factor of this book is that was short. I felt like it was circular, irrelevant and entirely self-indulgent. The decision for any woman to have a child is a life changing one and can come with huge personal sacrifices. To not have a child is to run the gauntlet of criticism and unwanted advice from just about anyone. These are interesting dilemmas. This book added nothing but a few well crafted quotes to the broader discourse.

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Joanne1
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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I‘ve had a bit of a break from audiobooks for the last few weeks but decided to start a new one this morning on my way to work. I can‘t say this is a great one for getting back into them. I‘m finding it a bit ridiculous and very self indulgent.

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Chelsea.Poole
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Listening to this #audiobook and I have to constantly remind myself that I'm listening to a novel, not a memoir/work of nonfiction. This diary type style is not something I normally encounter in novels, so it's different but not bad. #libby

60 likes1 stack add
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mauveandrosysky
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

It was interesting reading a book on ambivalence about motherhood when it‘s something I‘ve never been ambivalent about. Though I couldn‘t relate to many of Heti‘s thoughts about motherhood, I still felt connected to her. We all experience these fears and anxieties about life and meaning; there‘s so much pressure to get it right. This suffered from quite a bit of tiresome redundancy in the middle, but the passages that worked REALLY WORKED.

CouronneDhiver Wow... I‘m intrigued. Hubby and I are 10 years married and still childless because of ambivalence. Just don‘t know what to do! 6y
29 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BookBelle84
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

This book really made me think and I loved her perspective. I'm in my mid thirties and in a long term relationship and always being asked when I plan to have children which I never know how to respond. Many of her thoughts are the same as my own but she was able to organize them so that they made more sense. She shows that children are not the only option and I loved that.

valeriegeary I need to read this 6y
17 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BookBelle84
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Love this #quote

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BookBelle84
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Starting this one as this is what Patrick Dewitt said he was currently reading in a talk I went to last week.

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WriterAtHeart
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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I finished September's read already #GroupO! @parttimedomestic , I very much enjoyed the novel. @TheReadingMermaid , I am sorry you didn't enjoy it. What I did like was reading your thoughts throughout the novel. @Julie548 , I am interested to hear your thoughts.

I will be posting my review tomorrow. For now, bed!

#LMPBC

parttimedomestic I‘m glad you liked it! I was worried I would be the only one! 😉 6y
WriterAtHeart @parttimedomestic - I understand! I wasn't overly thrilled with mine and afraid that everyone is not going to like it. 😅 6y
49 likes1 stack add2 comments
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WriterAtHeart
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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BeansPage Enjoy darlin! 6y
parttimedomestic Awesome! Hope you like it! 6y
52 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Kaylamburson
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Bailedbailed

I started this one on audio yesterday and I‘m about 25% in and I just can‘t. The format is so strange and I just don‘t get it.

BookishShelly I had the print version and same reaction. 6y
Kaylamburson I was wondering if it would read better in print, but glad I‘m not missing out because of the format. There are so many rave reviews and I just don‘t understand the appeal. @BookishShelly 6y
75 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ReadingEnvy
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

Sheila Heti's narrator explores motherhood through numerous lenses as she confronts her age of 37. From coins to dreams to readings, she lets the universe dictate some of the conversation (literally) while she thinks deeply about motherhood vs. societal expectation, motherhood vs. feminism, and motherhood vs. art. A very enjoyable read with lots to think about, but I found I thought of it as essay and had to constantly reframe as a novel.

ReadingEnvy And of course I heard about it from @lindy on episode 124 of the Reading Envy Podcast! 6y
Lindy @ReadingEnvy I‘m glad you enjoyed it. Does it matter if it seems more like essay than fiction? It seemed like a personal journal to me. 6y
ReadingEnvy @Lindy I think it gets tricky when I start thinking "the author thinks xyz"... She may or may not. Had to keep reminding myself it's a narrator. 6y
Lindy @ReadingEnvy I see what you mean. 🤔 6y
67 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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BeansPage
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Panpan

Oh, @Julie548 @WriterAtHeart please don't read my review until you've read the book already. @parttimedomestic I'm sorry lol. I'm so sorry but I had to be honest. I still love ya and can't wait to read what you pick next! 🤗😘🤗
#GroupO #LMPBC

Please read my full review here:
TamaraTheReadingMermaid.weebly.com

parttimedomestic Ha, oh no! Sorry you didn‘t like it, but I can‘t wait to read your thoughts on it! 6y
BeansPage @parttimedomestic just please don't be offended. My review has nothing to do with you but only with the book. Sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't LOL 😋 6y
parttimedomestic @TheReadingMermaid we can‘t like em all! 🤷🏼‍♀️ 6y
BeansPage @parttimedomestic right. but at least you'll have a good time laughing at me when you read the notes that I made for you. Haha 😆 6y
87 likes4 comments
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mr_annie
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

Reading this book gave me a brain-baby. Simultaneously profound, funny, and perceptive, I felt like this book flipped a coin with my soul. Issues of womanhood, relationships, art and intergenerational trauma are mixed up in this auto-fictitious story of a woman deciding what to make of her life. I loved it so much and have much to ruminate on.

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EMWF
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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"There is something threatening about a woman who is not occupied with children. There is something at-loose-ends feeling about such a woman. What is she going to do instead? What sort of trouble will she make?" Sheila Heti will be at #emwf18 to read from her deeply intelligent and probing novel about motherhood and what it means to be a woman in today's world. She‘ll also be hosting a Writing Workshop on September 8! bit.ly/2twzqUS #canlit

Cinfhen Sounds wonderful 6y
EMWF @Cinfhen It‘s a great read! I hope you enjoy it 😊 6y
ReadingEnvy I‘m reading that one now. 6y
EMWF @ReadingEnvy Can‘t wait to see your review! 6y
46 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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ReadingEnvy
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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This is a thought provoking read for sure! @lindy

Notafraidofwords Oh boy. Don‘t do this to me !! 6y
ReadingEnvy Don't do what? 6y
Lindy @ReadingEnvy Bring on the quotes. Heti writes like a wizard. 6y
Crystalblu I make all kinds of trouble 😉 6y
51 likes1 stack add4 comments
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ReadingEnvy
Motherhood | Sheila Heti

"The feeling of not wanting children is the feeling of not wanting to be someone's idea of me."

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ReadingEnvy
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Thanks @lindy for the recommendation

Lindy Enjoy! 😁 6y
47 likes1 comment
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Proustian
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Protective shield! Sorry!—-I feel no protective shield with you. Very often I sit down with people and I‘ll feel nothing, and I‘ll say to the person, Your protective shield—-do you think it‘s made of brick or curtain? Is it Plexiglass? Could you close your eyes and visualize taking it down, please? Once they do that, I can do the reading, because I can‘t read through the protective shield. But you don‘t have one, which means you‘re psychic your...

Proustian ...self, or you don‘t have a boundary. 6y
2 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Caksf
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

Done with my first @24in48 book. This memoir was a fantastic, thought provoking insight into the role of women in society, why we chose the paths we chose and what and who leads us to those choices. It was a surprisingly quick read but impactful non the less. 4/5.. next up, more tea and some fiction! #24in48

18 likes1 stack add
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llwheeler
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this highly quotable book (if I hadn't been so busy this week I'd have posted several quotes, but I know others already have since that's what made me check the book out #blameitonlitsy!) Not plot-driven at all; a woman is deciding to have kids or not, but also looking intergenerationally the other way, at how her mother/grandmother have shaped her. Reminded me of the indigenous concept of 7 generations of healing. #canlit

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Caksf
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Started my @24in48 journey with this great non fiction memoir. Loving it so far and wish i could awake longer, but I want to remember all the profound tidbits and my brain has started to rebel! See you all in the morning😇

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parttimedomestic
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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I finally started my #LMPBC #groupo pick yesterday! My little highlighter is getting a workout so far-it has been so relatable!

BeansPage Looks good 🤘🏻 6y
43 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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mdermansky
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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"I wanted to tell him that I'm not the sort of writer who sits in her room and writes." Page 10.

I ver much realted to this line.

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Lindy
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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With so much gardening this month, I never would have got through this many books except for the blessing of audiobooks downloaded from the public library, including that chunkster Don Quixote.

Sue Wow, well done! Audiobooks are awesome! 🎉🎉🎉 6y
mrozzz Amazing! Great job! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y
29 likes2 comments
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dixi_e
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Pickpick

I‘m not sure what I think exactly but I have a lot of thoughts. Enlightening read. Would have liked to have the insight and strength to wrestle with this, like this, earlier; happy to have them now. 😊

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dixi_e
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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It‘s the ‘thinking aloud‘ of all the thoughts so many (all?) woman have over the course of their existence that is 🤯 as I read this book. And more personally, it‘s me connecting with this quote and book as a single parent whose path to parenthood was externally motivated. Regret is pointless and changing the past is impossible so how do I reconcile the life I want to live with the life I have (which is a ? deeper than just mothering)?

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dixi_e
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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🤯😳🤔

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dixi_e
Motherhood | Sheila Heti
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Powerful or pathetic? #truth

Echo Ugh. Both. Motherhood is hard. 6y
dixi_e Her she seems to be speaking to her future self, giving forgiveness for NOT becoming a mother. She was examining hat long old debate of “But what if I regret my childless choice and it‘s too late?” 6y
dixi_e (And yes, motherhood is hard!) 🤪😡😍 6y
7 likes3 comments