Welcome to Litsy!

Whoa. That was A LOT. A lot more than I thought it was going to be. I'm sure part of that's on me for browsing available non-fiction audiobooks and choosing one based on title alone. But even within the realm of 'economic crisis leads to more rustic accommodations', that was a lot. 1/2

I really liked this book!! Unexpected farm life. Sweet animals. Sad situations. Perseverance. Delicious sounding recipes sprinkled throughout. 😁😁😁

A Big Read two years ago I never got around to. But no more!

She never compromises on ingredients so this LONG BOOK IS LONG. Ebook is over 600 pages and (even after several sleepless nights) I wasn't making a dent. Unlike so many other reviewers, I don't blame her for being a financial ostrich. But so much caterwauling about her dead gran made me want to pitch her off her waterfall.

I liked the goats. The goats were fun. But I hate waiting.

Such an annoying book - very woe-is-me and everyone else is to blame for their problems. The author and her husband owe the IRS a huge debt so they go to live in a shack in the mountains of #northcarolina and raise goats (there ends up being about 10 goats so goodness knows where the title comes from!)

#nfnov #wil #whatIlearned Possums do actually ‘play possum‘. Oh and don‘t be such a whinge-bag when you brought it on yourself!

#ReadingUSA2019

This book is exactly why I try to overpack when I take a few days away and unfortunately on this trip this was my only downloaded recorded book. I would‘ve bailed as a large part of the beginning was about financial problems and a violent husband who tried to kill the author. So-so was a generous rating. While the farming second part of the book was mildly interesting it was largely depressing. Misleading title.

I read this on audio a few weeks back based on the non recommendation of @britt_brooke 🤣🤣. I can see why other littens haven‘t cared for this one. The marketing and title are a bit misleading. It‘s past the halfway mark when the goats are acquired. Up to that point, it‘s basically a woe-is-me story written by someone that doesn‘t want to take any responsibility for her financial mess. I found that part intriguing as well but the narrator UGH.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ If I owed the IRS six figures, I‘d be sipping Natty Light, not trendy Asheville craft brews ... but I digress. I came super close to bailing early on because I wanted to choke these dingbats out, but once McGaha got into the farming bits, it was quite entertaining. She‘s a funny writer with the right subject matter. Overall, this is an okay memoir, but I think it was mismarketed. Also, there are more than 2 goats. 🐐🐐🤷🏼‍♀️🤔

Great day so far! 🎧💪🏻🥵☀️

Finished the tagged book + 45 min upper body lift, a slow 1-mile run, 10 mins on a stairclimber (at the Y), then a bonus 1-mile walk while my boys played at the park (there‘s a path surround the playground equipment). Maybe later, I‘ll find time to do my nails. 🙈

#BFCR2 #teamflow #fightevilreadbooks

While it's never fun to be forced in the situation, i love stories about people finding their roots in a personal crisis. This little memoir about going broke and going back to nature was more inspirational than I had expected. Making my own cheese and yogurt is now totally on my bucket list.
#womensmemoir

Not quite the farming memoir I was expecting but very good nonetheless.

The author and her husband (an accountant!) owe six figures to the IRS after YEARS of nonpayment. They lose their house, move into a ramshackle cabin, and discover how hard life is when you have neither money nor credit. Sadly, the narrative oozes oblivious privilege and ignores the larger issue of poverty. I would have enjoyed the book more if the author had stuck to the learning-to-farm aspect of her story.

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Honest memoir of a riches-to-rags story. Foreclosure, debt, chickens, goats, dogs, and recipes including how to make your own yogurt. Not a cautionary tale by any means, but more of a “we‘re here, what next?” tale of letting go and moving on.

Liked it, but wow, these people are feckless. How do you not pay federal taxes for 4 years and keep figuring that you‘ll be able to work it out somehow? How do you not notice that your spouse hasn‘t prepared the tax return for 4 years running? I couldn‘t trust a spouse again who did that to me, but the author is nicer than I am, I guess. Anyway. The story of these two roughing it in a barely livable cabin after losing everything is interesting.

Memoir listened to for Big Library Reads. Fell short. Felt no empathy for her situation because she never took responsibility. The last half of the book was her playing farmer and telling about breeding goats. Chore to get through.

Digging into this book tonight! I have high hopes for this one. I‘m really into memoirs about homesteading these days.

I‘m getting tired of variations on the following pattern in this book: “Every animal husbandry book we had read told us not to do ________, but we went ahead and did it anyway. After this bad decision, all did not go well.” I guess the book is supposed to highlight how unprepared they were to be thrown into this rustic lifestyle, but repeatedly ignoring expert advice on a subject they know nothing about is just dumb, and it irritates me.

I had no idea that goats did this. They talk to their babies in utero, just like people do. Amazing.

I liked it but... there were too many inconsistencies with technology. In the Glass Castle the kids had no choice, in Flat Broke the adults had choices but chose bad ones.

I actually don‘t know what a “Big Library Read” is, but this popped up on Overdrive and I‘m a sucker for memoirs. The reader was excellent, but her voice didn‘t fit. The author is 2 years younger than me (53), but the reader‘s voice sounds like she may be in her 70‘s. This one is so-so. I was interested in the story, but it did get tiresome. I was even getting tired of the goats 🐐 🐐 at the end.2/5⭐️

I started this one last night, and it kept me up late. It‘s well-written enough to almost read like a novel. This is the current Big Library Read, but I think today may be the last day to grab it at unlimited access on Overdrive/Libby. It‘s worth reading in any case. 40-something English prof loses house during Great Recession, is forced into a rustic life in a dilapidated North Carolina cabin while trying to repair marriage and life.

Is anyone else reading this for the #BigLibraryRead? I‘m really liking it so far! #audiobook

Easy read.

#BigLibraryRead #memoir this is the first time I‘ve participated.

If you think the solution to being in extreme debt is to take out a loan you can‘t possibly repay, this is your book. (I gave it 30 minutes.)

I'm so torn about this book! I think I would have really loved it had it just been about the food, farming and reconnecting to her heritage. All the financial stuff and their extremely poor decisions really didn't sit well. Originally, I felt that Jennifer's character was rather likable and I could understand how they got to this point. After the second half of the book I was put off by her and just done hearing her complain. #BigLibraryRead

Umm are we serious right now?! I'm in debt, but I'm bored so let's take out more loans! Seriously?! I am just baffled!

Is this why everyone dislikes this title? #BigLibraryRead

When did I get so judgmental of people‘s mistakes? Just started this on audio, and all I think about is how irresponsible this family was and how unwilling the author is to see it. Is that even fair of me? Maybe it‘s time to quit.

Started this for the #biglibraryread. Not sure what to think. The story of the move to the cabin is interesting, but the wining about bad decisions is getting on my nerves (I tend to be a bleeding heart, but you gotta pay your taxes.) For now, I‘ll keep going and see what happens. (Picture is of a waterfall near where the book takes place.)

Well, that was a bunch of boomer nonsense.

I only finished this one because I once raised a baby goat named Waylon, (pictured, sleeping on a bench where I worked because he followed me everywhere) which was also the name of a goat in this book.

#goatsoflitsy

Memoirs aren‘t really my cup of tea, but love #biglibraryread

I'm trying to enjoy this, but it's hard when at every turn I keep shouting to the narrator "You idiot". And I feel a little trapped because now I just want to finish to make sure her kids are okay.
#biglibraryread #memoir

☕️. I‘ve been craving pan dulce, specifically conchas. Probably means I need to go visit my little cousin.
☕️. The book I just finished: self-absorption gets you nowhere.
☕️. 24
☕️. Futurama
☕️. Libra

Jennifer(the author)& David are a middle class couple out of touch with their bank account & each other. When foreclosure means living in a cabin & sharing space with snakes & mice, Jennifer must decide to stay with her husband of 20 years or run. At times I liked this book as I could relate to her angst over finances & desire to do right by her family; at others the author acted spoiled & entitled. And I learned entirely too much about goat pee.

Reading this as part of the #biglibraryread. I like it so far but am only a few pages in. The reviews don‘t seem very good though so we‘ll see. I‘m hopeful it‘ll be fun and interesting.

It was a good story. It just felt a little repetitive at times. The author has definitely had an interesting life.

I read this because it was a #biglibraryread Parts of it I enjoyed but too much back in forth and not enough goats! Just all over meh.

I finished this last night only because I started skimming halfway through. It‘s not that I didn‘t care about the events or the author, it‘s just that they didn‘t interest me and it was really wordy. I‘ll put a spoiler in the comments as to why I gave it a so-so instead of a Pan. #biglibraryread #overdrive #goatsmatotes

I guess based on the title and knowing nothing else going in, I expected this to be a bit more... I don‘t know, whimsical? Instead things just took a pretty dark turn. Definitely not what I expected!

I found the author to be whiny, immature, and unable to accept responsibility for her and her husband‘s actions for the first half of the book. For some reason though, I stuck with it. I enjoyed learning about her homesteading experience as the story continued. I‘m curious about why/how the library system chose this book for its big read. #BigLibraryRead

Hmmmmm.. I have some strong opinions on this one. They are not necessarily positive. I don‘t write negative reviews, especially a memoir. Though this book was well written and brutally honest, which is how I like my memoirs. I can‘t help but feel we will see a sequel titled Still Broke With No Goats or Living With our Senior Parents With Goats.

Finally got a few minutes to read and actually eat some sort of breakfast. Hummus toast with tomatoes. I'm still pushing through the #BigLibraryRead Flat Broke With Two Goats. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It's any easy read and despite their stupid choices, I'm finding Jennifer somewhat relatable/likable. However, there's something there keeping me from loving it.

Anyone else doing the #biglibraryread? I just stumbled across this today. I am fascinated by homesteading and we are going to start a small scale homestead this spring so I am going to have to pause all my other books and read this!

I want to like this, but I get crying about life not being fair from my children. I don't want to hear grown woman whine. #biglibraryread

I'm not entirely into this book so far but this section right here hit me hard. It brought up so many emotions from my own Grandmother's passing. The quiet moments of labored breaths. Having us come over there but not wanting us there at the same time. #BigLibraryRead

I hadn‘t heard of this one before but decided to give it a try because it‘s the #BigLibraryRead this month. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Usually I like memoirs about people starting a new life with a stronger connection to animals and the natural world, and the relation of experiences during the recession had promise, but I was just bored from the beginning. I made it a little ways in and then switched to something else.

17 hrs, 30 min toward #25inFive