Welcome to Litsy!

I found this a really compelling listen. The way she writes with such fondness & love for her family despite all their awful beliefs & her own conflicting views shone through - the passage about her Grandad near the end & the way she writes about her Mother you could tell were heartfelt. I preferred the latter half of the book when she starts to view her upbringing & the church differently but a great listen. #nonfiction2023 All About that Bass

#weeklyforecast
Started Unfollow this morning, finding it difficult so we‘ll see. I know it‘s about her leaving the Church, but I‘m finding reading about the church bloody miserable!
Others are waving at me this morning.

I‘m so glad my daughter checked this out. I never thought I‘d feel empathy for anyone involved with the Westboro Baptist Church, but Phelps-Roper helped me do just that. Her account of her upbringing in that family and religion and how she came to leave was interesting and thoughtful. I admire her strength and her ability to convey the complexity of her life and her family. There are no real devils in her portrayal, only deeply flawed people.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I struggle to review memoirs, but I‘ll say this: Megan‘s voice is powerful, and not just because she found the courage to leave. Her prose is captivating and challenging at the same time. Her story is not only that of an escaped prisoner, but also of a humble champion. I love that she‘s built her own life with people who obviously make her feel safe and loved. I hope to hear more from her and recommend this book.

It was fascinating to read about the beginning of Westboro Baptist Church and what led to the picketing. What I found especially neat was how much freedom they had in those early days, and the shift that led to Megan realizing there were serious issues within the church and their beliefs. I will say, I‘m not religious and was not raised with any religion so my take is purely without those glasses on. Only as a reader.

Tough days continue. Making some good progress with this one which is a needed break from the news which is overwhelming, even up here in Canada.
I hope people are staying safe.

I actually finished this 2 weeks ago but keep forgetting to post it. Although I found that it bogged down a bit at the ending, overall I enjoyed listening to Megan‘s words in her voice. The Westboro Baptist Church has long both disgusted & interested me & hearing what it was like growing up in that environment was fascinating. I do give Megan credit for realizing the damage she & her family were doing with the spewing of damnation & hate.

#Audiosouping 🍲Less than 2 hours to go in this one. I was hoping to finish it in March but the last week got away from me. Our business is deemed essential & I‘m in the office about 3 days out of the week & home the other days but at 1/2 pay as business is seriously down. Have had a week-ish of a solo pity-party but I‘m climbing out & realizing I‘m luckier than many others & I‘m gonna try again to focus on the positives (like this potato soup).

Back to #audiosouping to this memoir. I‘m a bit over halfway through as Megan is questioning the church & deciding to leave. The soup is a fingerling potato & corn chowder—using up some veggies I didn‘t get to this week while working. It smells really good.🤗🍲😋Finished soup pics & recipe coming later on.

Some #audiosouping - my usual Sunday social distancing. It‘s pouring down rain here so this Chickpea & Lemon Soup seems like perfect comfort food. It‘s from dried chickpeas so it is simmering for a couple of hours & smells delicious. It‘s hard to say I‘m *enjoying* this book, I‘m only about a third of the way in & the hateful ways of the church have to be in small doses for me but it is interesting. Finished soup pics coming later.

Starting a new audiobook today with my #audiosouping. I wasn‘t getting to this one in print so I thought I‘d try it in audio. So far it‘s interesting. The soup is going to be a potato-leek soup with garlic-herb Boursin cheese because I have 5 boxes of it from a blowout sale at work. A Boursin bounty! 😆😋🤗 Finished soup pics coming later.

Thanks for the tag @Emilymdxn ! 😊
#friYAYintro @4thhouseontheleft @howjessreads
1 Yes! I adore a good cover, but a bad one doesn't stop me! 😉
2 On Audible, from @Emilymdxn 's #NewYearWhoDis list! 😊
3 Al Jazeera, the author Rebecca Solnit's FB page, and the Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj are some favorites!
4 Snooze if chronic illness is acting up, get up immediately or not use an alarm at all if I'm doing well!
5 @rachelk @monalyisha

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘ve never thought of WBC as fascinating, but to live in the mainstream as a cult is quite an accomplishment. But also, fuck them. I‘m so happy Megan Phelps-Roper left. That took immense courage. But, though this memoir starts strong, it becomes repetitive and boring. It‘s much too long. Tightened up, it would‘ve been a fantastic essay.

Such a good book. Gives great insight and history into the WBC. The author does such an amazing job of telling the truth about her family without demonizing them. I am so thankful to have read this story.

From p. 260

This excerpt from the book is a bit confounding. I mean yay free speech and seeing the error of one's ways but Westboro undoubtedly engages in hate speech and Twitter amplified its voice.

This is memoir 4 of my #nonfictionnovember memoir project. Unfollow chronicles Megan Phelps' journey out of the Westboro Baptist Church, notorious for anti-gay protests and general awfulness. ⤵️

When an ARC of an amazing-looking new book coordinates with your pillows this is #hygge correct? 😊