Welcome to Litsy!

2-13-23: My 18th finished book of 2023! A look into the lives of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, both female poets active in the 50s and 60s. Both suffered from mental illness and died by their own hand. This book travels through time to their upbringings, marriages and families, writing years and finally their deaths and shows the similarities and differences between these two talented writers. Very interesting and sad. I am a fan of both.

This book about poets Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton was not well written & I don‘t care much for poetry. But my entry into it the examination of the struggle to be a woman & a poet in 1960/50 America. They could not be selfish artists because they had to be proper and mothers and cooks and hostesses. But the wild, absorptive heart of a poet wants what it wants. These two were no doubt mentally ill, but they were also talented & angry. A sad read.

Hour 1: Can‘t do this book. #arc #reversereadathon
The organization — one aspect of their lives in each chapter — hollows out their stories. The impact of societal expectations of women in the 1950s and 60s, their marriage roles, mental illness (not addressed until the end of the book), etc. all impact each other. Stripping away all but one context at a time made their stories one-dimensional.
More below. 👇👇👇

And it begins! #reversereadathon #deweys24hourreadathon

First — Decide if I‘m going to keep reading this #arc. It‘s bland and I don‘t care about Plath or Sexton. Which is bonkers since both of them have deep inner and outer lives.

So far this book reads more like a textbook than a dual biography. It also seems repetitive. (Maybe I‘m distracted.) I‘m starting to skim. #arc #bookspin

I wish I could attach a recording of the thunder. 😌
Storms—a perfect backdrop for reading about Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. 🌩⚡️
#bookspin

Well I wish this month‘s #bookspin number would have been an easier read. This is an #arc so it is advantageous.

This is a tough read. Interesting and sad, especially with post-Roe eyes. (Plath and Sexton fought against imposed and strict gender roles. 😬)

Thanks to @LeslieO I now know how to make my own bingo card! #bookspinbingo
@TheAromaofBooks

Hooray! My first #bookspin this year. An #ARC I need and want to read (12), and a book that‘s been on my TBR for-e-ver (15, #doublespin).

@TheAromaofBooks 🥳🥳🥳

It‘s not specifically about their drinking afternoons at the Ritz, that‘s just a narrative thread to pull it together.
It‘s a good synopsis of the rebellious (for the time) nature and thinking of Plath and Sexton. I enjoyed it, if you‘re a bit obsessed with either of them you will know a lot of the detail- but there are some good additional anecdotes and thoughts.
Thank you Paula 😘

These have just arrived from BD 😁😁😁 thank you to whoever sent them! Apologies if I shouldn‘t have opened them.
I have not seen that Plath book before!!

If you are a fan of Sylvia Plath or Anne Sexton, you may enjoy this book. The author deals with both women very frankly, warts and all. She compares their lives and work, their loves and fears, and their deaths with great scholarship and caring. These two American poets were instrumental in helping to break down the barriers around male-dominated poetry and should be celebrated as such. Five stars.

Someone went to Barnes & Noble yesterday and got exactly what she wanted !

Book mail is the best mail! 📚💕 The tagged book is a nonfiction title about the friendship between Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton! 😍 They are favorite poets of mine, so I'm excited to dive in! The other two are new books in different series I have been enjoying! #bookmail #bookhaul #gaysinspace