Welcome to Litsy!

Gather round young ‘uns. I‘m going to tell you a story that took place before social media became a hellscape, when people could freely create, bond & heal alongside total strangers w/o the interference of trolls or monetization.

I don‘t think I can be objective about this book, as I was part of Duchess Goldblatt‘s Twitter community. I can‘t imagine reading it without knowing/remembering so much of it.

It was disconcerting to read about the things that were going on in the life of the creator behind the persona. I assume the book is good, even if you weren‘t part of the community when it existed, because one of my students loaned it to me and they loved it.

I loved the humor in this one. I do think it needs to be listened to as I‘m not sure I would have loved it as much if I had been reading it.

Read in February 2023 ...
#Goodreads #BooklyApp #StoryGraph #Bookstagram #MMDBookClub #OUABC #ReesesBookClub

This is an odd book. I am somewhat aware of the Twitter account and its mysterious origins. (You don‘t find out who she really is) This memoir is actually pretty sad and parts got on my nerves bc the anonymous author kind of acts like she‘s the only person who has had problems. I did like the parts with Lyle Lovett and it‘s a snapshot of a weird time in social media. This is the MMD book club pick for February and it‘s short so I finished it.

#MMDBookClub pick for February 2023

It‘s probably the funniest yet saddest memoir I‘ve ever read. If you‘ve never heard of the good Duchess (or even if you have) you MUST read this book.

🚨 Spoiler Alert: This is a great article but don‘t read it before reading the book if you want to be surprised.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/books/becoming-duchess-goldblatt-memoir.html?....

There‘s no way I would‘ve read this if it hadn‘t been recommended. An anonymous book about a woman becoming a Twitter sensation by spreading love and kindness through a fictional persona & becoming friends with Lyle Lovett along the way. Honestly, it sounds insane, but at it‘s heart it‘s not about any of those things. It‘s about finding hope again after loss. Funny & sweet, I am grateful for the Duchess‘ wit, humor, and willingness to spread joy.

A book full of joy and yet sadness. But more joy. And at the very end, I found this enclosed note. Very Goldblattian! #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

I am having a lovely weekend with the Duchess. I can‘t believe we‘ve just met! Where have I been?

I hate to DNF a book that so many Littens have loved, but 31% in this still isn‘t working for me in print or on audio. I know it probably eventually isn‘t sad, but all this wrenching son away from mother, I just can‘t take right now. 🤷🏻‍♀️ #bookspinbingo sq 5

What a lovely, lovely book. I suspect there are many Goldblatt lovers here. I initially borrowed this from the library, but it was such a delightful, heartwarming book that I've ordered a hardback of it. I'll definitely be re-reading this one over a few times in my lifetime.

It's a real story about a fake person, and more real than most.

Y‘all I 🎧 to this book today enjoyed it!💕

I‘m so glad I didn‘t pass on this jewel of a book. So well written, poignant, funny, heart breaking, hopeful, and layered! I now follow the Duchess (I LOVE Twitter) and neither the book‘s raves nor the Duchess disappoint. It‘s clear the author adores Lyle Lovett, and that section was a teensy bit overdone, but if anyone famous became my friend because of my brilliance- I think we‘d see she showed restraint😜

I‘m not sure what prompted me to request this book (I‘m not on Twitter and I‘ve only heard the name in passing), but after requesting it from the library in an almost daydream state, it arrived just two days later from a distant ‘brary. I picked it up this afternoon and as soon as I got home I flopped onto the couch and started reading. I can‘t put it down. Meant to be?

That was mostly fun! I'm almost tempted (but unlikely) to check out Duchess Goldblatt on Twitter.

This was just marvelous, whether you are familiar with Twitter‘s Duchess Goldblatt or not. What a delightful surprise.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was only vaguely familiar with Duchess Goldblatt prior to this, but her origin story is fascinating! An anonymous writer created this fictional social media persona as a distraction from a stressful time in her own personal life. What emerged was a tweeting beacon of humor and hope. Many of Her Grace‘s tweets are sprinkled into this memoir. The styles works well. It‘s a great read!

I didn't know Duchess Goldblatt before hearing about this book. She's a cozy, witty and often charming twitter personality. This is the memoir of her anonymous creator, the mind in which the Duchess lives. A backstory of the painful events and lonely life from which sprung the social media personality where many find grace and inspiration. While this is a lovely story, I did find it a bit lacking, probably because some details are left out.

I loved this memoir! This is what I hoped Untamed would be. It is real with struggles but ultimately very positive and happy. DG is so supportive to her followers and so clever. I learned a lot about perseverance and positivity from this book with a dose of Lyle Lovett and Benjamin Dreyer. May Duchess Goldblatt continue with her wit and wise advice! Just a great little book!

My tbr pile for September. I‘m looking forward to a lot of these choices. #septembertbr

Happy Independent Bookstore Day! Picked up these beauties today.

Squeeeeee! Just got my copy and cannot wait to dig in.

I just did a thing on social media for @skylarkbookshop about my five favorite books of 2020 so far. This will undoubtedly feature in my top 5 for the second half of the year. So damn good. It‘s very funny, very smart, and deeply touching. Plus, you know, Lyle Lovett.

I am *loving* this book so much.

Whether or not you‘ve ever interacted with “Duchess Goldblatt” on Twitter, this is a deeply enjoyable memoir of how an anonymous writer in crisis remade her relationship with the world, rediscovered her creativity, and became friends with Lyle Lovett in the process.

Esther lovingly shows off my newest book-in-the-house just delivered - SO excited!! #DogsofLitsy #EstherFest #whpg

Duchess Goldbatt is a fictional Twitter character voiced by a reclusive real-life writer. Her Grace is a delight to follow. I am a big fan, and I am so excited to read this memoir about how her creator used the Duchess Goldblatt account to reach out and build a loving community of online friends. It has helped them through some tough times. If you‘re not following Her Grace on Twitter, you should do that now. This book is out 7/7/2020. ❤️