Welcome to Litsy!

April wrap up! It was a good month for me 😊 hoping I can keep up my momentum, but I just broke my iPad this morning and need to figure that out now 😭😭😭 Top picks from April were The Night Swim, In Five Years, Instructions for Dancing, The Amendment, Skye Falling and The Hunting Wives. Can‘t wait to see what May brings 😃

Oh this was such a good listen! I really enjoyed it and the different narrators! I will definitely read more by this author. The podcast episodes had music along with them which I thought was an excellent touch! This really digs into both sides of the case and explores the he said/she said dynamic of rape cases. The mystery from the past was also intriguing as well. It had a good ending & I wouldn‘t mind another book featuring Rachel the reporter.

I love true crime so reading a book about a true crime podcaster following a live court case while investigating another crime was pretty interesting. It sounds complicated but was easy to follow. Loved the different storylines even though they were all intertwined. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a rollercoaster. The subject matter is extremely tough. But, the writing was excellent. The different perspectives and the mix of the podcast format and letters just made this story so captivating. I never once put the twist together. The ending shocked me and I thought it was so satisfying. This was honestly perfect from start to finish, in my opinion.

I found this to be a very engaging mystery. At first I was mostly connecting with the 2017 storyline, but the more the 1992 story hooked me as it rapidly unfolded near the end.

4⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. At the center is a story about a two girls who were raped and the aftermath of that. Told through multi formats like emails and podcasts, we follow the trial surrounding the rape. Discussions of why women often are not believed, the difficulties in trying a rape case and the trauma all take place and left my heart hurting with sadness at how little value is placed on women sometimes. The audiobook is great.

This was a mystery about a murder in the past, that a woman investigates while covering a rape trial in the present day - the story is good and the mystery is good.

See comments for a bit more - (#JoyousJanuary setting hours goal was helpful in finishing this book - had to stop and start due to subject matter)
Make a great day -

I think I need to set a more specific goal (rather than finish a book) - my reading so far has been minimal (back to school and it has kept me busier than I expected)- so my goal for the rest of #JoyousJanuary @Andrew65 is to read 2 hours (at the least) a day - I think that will also mean finishing some of my #BookSpinBingo books (all of which I am currently enjoying!).

Make a great day everyone - 🙂

This is a page from the tagged book - a reminder that sexual crimes against women are one of the few crimes where society still is allowed to blame the victim - and a reminder of how irrational it is -
the #ThinkPositiveBePositive (thanks for the tag @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ) is to remind us to speak up and out -

Make a great day everyone -

Here is my #BookSpinBingo for January
@TheAromaofBooks

Started reading numbers 24, 16, 4 and 20 (started Kings book before the bingo numbers pulled and I can't stop reading!) - added free spin book 24 as part of #ReadSpooky2022 hosted by @teebe .

Make a great day everyone 🌟

The story feels so raw and real that it was frustrating at times. The audio isn‘t easy to listen to because of how heavy and disturbing the subject matter is.

TW: sexual assault, victim shaming

So good that I times I want to stop the world from moving around me. Life has been busy for the last 5 days and will continue to be so for the next couple days but I will keep doing my best for #TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon @Clwojick #Readlikehellathon #wickedathon #spookoween

I am early for a meeting and it is a beautiful morning. Reading at the park it is. #Scarathlon2021 #TeamSlaughter #alwayscarryabook @Clwojick

5 ⭐
Trigger warning: Rape

I absolutely loved this book. It was interesting from the beginning to the end. I loved how we could read Hannah letters to Rachel and that we could read Rachel podcast.

This book follow two cases. One that Rachel is investigating to help Hannah and one that is on trial.

It's an important book to read. Everyone should read it.

Every year, when September comes, I start reading horror/mysteries/thrillers. I guess I'm a mood reader.

#BookSpinBingo #bookspin #doublespin

This book was so-so for me. Well written, but a bit underwhelming. Three stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Up next… This has been on my TBR for awhile. I thought I‘d give it a try. 😁❤️

Rachel has a podcast radio show and in her third season she will cover a trial about a rape case. She will interview both side, the accused and the victim: “Guilty or Not Guilty, the podcast that puts you in the jury box”. During this coverage Rachel will got involved in another case where she felt stalked at the beginning. What will happen in this other case? Are they connected? I listened also the audio. Didn‘t see all the twists. 4⭐️

TBH, I‘m not a thriller fan, and only read this because it‘s my irl book club‘s July selection. But even with that caveat, I feel comfortable saying the premise was unbelievable, the main character makes ridiculously stupid decisions, and the writing did nothing to redeem these faults. The only redeeming quote was the prosecutor‘s statement that these true crime podcasts (and I might add thrillers) are 👇🏻

The Night Swim was the perfect rainy summer day read. A true fantasy for us True Crime enthusiasts who dream of solving murders with a successful podcast. #thenightswim #summerread #murdermystery

This started out as kinda meh for me but ultimately ended up being a pick. I didn‘t love Hannah or the way she approached Rachel. However the story and issues it brings up are important and really well developed. I liked how the two main stories ended up being intertwined and even the resolution (while somewhat predictable) was satisfying. This was my #bookspin for June.

I loved this book! I loved her first book and this one was just as good! I will be a loyal reader of Megan Goldin from now on! I am so ready for a new book already. I just hate that it‘s taken me this long to read it, but I have a TBR pile forever long.

I finished this one last night. I enjoyed the story, especially the podcast aspect. I liked the dual stories that seemed to overlap each other. Definite trigger warning for rape. Shocking twist for me at the end. Wasn't an earth shattering read, but I did enjoy it.

First, it snowed here yesterday. A lot for April. ❄❄

Second, this book was really good. There was a lot going on. A rape trial, a podcast, and a 25 year old murder that needed solving. The characters were a little flat because of all that was going on. Overall I enjoyed it though.
The author is said to have taken the main story from the Brock Turner case. I would no recommend if the graphic rape of a 16 year old is triggering.

I liked the two for one stories in this mystery, crime novel. I think I read this would make a good series with the podcast twist. I would go for that.

I‘m taking full advantage of working from home today. It‘s gorgeous out and of course the days I take off are always rainy (like tomorrow). So I opted to take my lunch break outside, read, and enjoy a beer.

Rachel decides to put a new spin on her true crime podcast by covering an active trial. It‘s a hot button one, too: the rape of a teenage girl by an Olympic hopeful swimming star. It has all the blaming and side-taking you would expect, but Rachel also finds that a teenage girl died in the town years ago and it may have been a murder. This is a well-balanced thriller that I really enjoyed, thought with some tough themes.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin is a story that will make your blood boil! It‘s about a true crime podcaster and her quest for capturing stories of justice being served. When she travels to cover a very divisive and heated case, she ends up getting in way over her head with a second case from the area.

TW: Rape, sexual assault

https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-review-the-night-swim-by-megan-goldin/

This is about a podcaster who debarks from her norm of investigating - and solving - cold case murders to covering a rape trial. While there, a fan whose case she chose not to pursue baits her w/letters about the crime. The scenes shift between her podcast, the courtroom, the letters written to her, & her actions as she investigates the second case when she should be focusing on the first. There's plenty of suspense, but I didn't love it.

This was my work book club pick. It annoyed me in lots of ways but was better than I thought. So it‘s a pick- just.

This was a slow building court room drama with two plots lines. Rachel has a true crime podcast and goes to a coastal town to cover an active rape case being tried in court. While there for the court case coverage, she begins to investigate a possible murder case from 25 years ago. If you like true crime podcasts or court room drama movies you will like this book. And it was my #doublebookspin book @TheAromaofBooks

Wow. This book was hard for me to read. It had multiple rape scenes and or allusions to rape. I thought the addition of a podcast added an interesting element to the story. I loved the main character and hope we see her in another book. This was a tense read, but well done and excellent in it's execution

Loved the Audiobook and the addition of the podcast, really thought it added an interesting element to the story.

Just meh. This would probably make a better movie or TV series. The ultimate courtroom reveal felt off to me and it was endlessly frustrating that the main character was ignoring her job. These are the details that hold me up on a book!

#pop21 #bookaboutasocialjusticeissue #litsyatoz @BookishMarginalia

This book is rough, this is a hard, hard read. There are lots of rape scenes, in this book. If you are sensitive to this topic and the subsequent topics (victim blaming, slut shaming etc) don't read this book.

January Reads. If I finished the Night Swim I will have finished January with 11 books read so far. There are two books that I read that are missing from the above image.

1.) American Predator by Maureen Callahan
2.) White Tears /Brown Scars by Ruby Hamod

My current read for #24B4Monday I am loving the Audiobook so far, it's great and has a podcast as part of the story. So that makes it really interesting for me.

Also: @NeedsMoreBooks and I are gearing up for Second Season of Reading Squad! We are very excited to share all of our reads with you again! Look forward to the first episode in February!

I was intrigued by the premise of this! Lots of commentary about rape culture. Since I analyze a lot of sexual assault kits, I can confirm that it‘s rare for cases like this to go to trial, for many of the reasons brought up in the book. It‘s always interesting for me to read stories that are adjacent to what I do in real life.
Also really enjoyed the alternating format with the podcast episodes thrown in the mix.
#NewYearWhoDis

Promising male swimmer accused of rape... But a novel.

#rippedfromtheheadlines

I have finally decided on a reasonable January TBR from my #NewYearWhoDis list from @Jadams1776 ! As usual, other books from the list that I also want to read will get added to my regular TBR!

In addition to these five, I got a little excited and read a book from the list in December (which will get a post at some point!) and I am already going to be reading Home Before Dark for #LMPBC this month.

#12Booksof2020

I love true crime podcasts, so this book was right up my alley. Though I found the ending a bit predictable, it‘s still one of the best I‘ve read in 2020. @Andrew65

Loved this book! Lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed the different perspectives and angles. Highly recommend!

Ugh, so frustrated with my #unpopular opinion. On one hand, I so appreciate the honest discussions regarding the countless traumas of sexual assault. On the other, I found the writing to be sloppy (So...many...repeat...words...), the plot had holes, and for a podcast-based narrative, the audiobook wasn't impressive.
Yet, this story is important--so important, and society needs to hear it. And for that alone, I give the author full kudos.

This is another book about a rape trial. I'm not totally sure how I managed to read 2 of these in a row. In this one, there is also an unsolved murder mystery which turns out to be the real story. This reads like a true crime podcast which the main character is creating. It's really good.

#BookSpinBingo square 17
@TheAromaofBooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

⚖•𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•⚖⁣
⁣
𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧 follows up The Escape Room with 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦, an engrossing, haunting indictment of the manner in which justice is meted out in rape cases. She credibly explires small town politics as a podcasting reporter covers a present-day trial while investigating the death of another teenage girl 25 years ago. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: https://tinyurl.com/y4dewfrf

Today‘s card is: Ten of Clubs(wands); HARD WORK

“She who reads such a large stack of books has worked hard for her knowledge and success”

Another beautiful card! I think of Rachel from the tagged book has has dedicated her life to using her platform to solve unjust or unsolved crimes. It is clearly all consuming for her and she gives her life to her work.

Comment what book or character this makes you think of! #dailytarot

Finished this today while getting some chores done. The way this story is told is original. It's multiple storylines kept me intrigued the whole time. It's unsettling and powerful all at the same time. Probably one of the better thrillers I've read this year. #bookspinbingo #NetGalley #TheNightSwim

@TheAromaofBooks

Up next! I've been trying to get to this one forever. Finally knocking this one off the TBR. #bookspinbingo