Welcome to Litsy!

De-Christmas-ing slowly but surely. Mug cupboard is back to normal with a few pops of upcoming Valentine‘s Day. This book was so good. I can‘t believe all the things SP has gone through. She‘s an amazing writer

Lego-ing continues #hyggetheeff

New year, new audio book - I have this autographed in print but I want to listen to SP so here we are

I love, love, loved this book. Polley's personal essays are beautifully written, vulnerable and reflective. She explores her experiences as a child star, a victim of sexual assault, a mother, and a person with a concussion. There's a real bravery and generosity to her work. Hearing her read it on audio enhanced the experience.
Pic from a recent hike. It's a beautiful October in NB. 🧡

Did some audiobaking today while getting ready for Cdn Thanksgiving. I have always loved Polley's movies and am enjoying the tagged book so far.

Great book about the challenges faced by Sarah as a child star with scoliosis and when her mother died when Sarah was 11 and her father became helpless. She also had a challenge having her three children. The best part is at the end after a concussion when she had to proactively cure it, which is in the title.

I could not resist starting this one (I put a hold on it) because I like Sarah Polley after watching “Stories” a while back.

I know e readers aren‘t for everyone, and I clearly see the downside, but here I am before an ice storm charging just in case. 🤞

A memoir in essays with lots of really rich insights.
In some ways it reminds me of I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell. A series of almost completely insane stories that shaped her life while giving the reader smart, funny, and courageous insights into experiences that clearly jolted her own life in frequently difficult ways.

#12Booksof2022 🎶On the sixth day of Christmas my true love read to me, essays smart and poignant🎶

For my twelve, I‘m highlighting my favorite audiobooks of the year. Great books that were all the more enjoyable thanks to outstanding narration &/or production.

My sweetie bought me this because of the final essay, which is also the title of the book. That essay is about Sarah Polley‘s experience with a severe concussion. I wept all the way through, reliving my own sadness and frustration of having a brain injury. All of the essays are brilliant but that last one wrecked me!

Sometimes, after a scenario like this one, my left eyelid sinks and covers half my eye as my head throbs in pain.

(Been there, Sarah Polley!)

I loved Polley‘s very personal 2012 documentary, Stories We Tell, and this is a great companion to that. I especially appreciated her intimate and honest account of her health struggles—scoliosis, endometriosis, high-risk pregnancies and a severe concussion. Conditions that are often invisible, overlooked and minimized. Really good listen.

Can‘t wait for her adaptation of Women Talking!

I couldn‘t move without pain for a long time. I read all of Charles Dickens, thought about writing books one day, and fantasized about being mobile enough to walk down the street to the hardware store to buy a nail. I had no idea what I would do with this nail, but the idea of being strong and mobile and free enough to get there to choose the nail was exhilarating to me.

5⭐/5⭐ I have been looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint!

I like Sarah Polley as an actress (I know her from her late teens movies), so I was interested to read her book. It far exceeded my expectations. In each of these essays, she does a deep dive into a topic, informed by her life experiences, and thoughtfully explores things like sexual assault, child acting (her own experiences here are sobering), and more. This is really fantastic. I‘m glad @Megabooks put this one on my radar!

Excellent. Such an unconventional life/childhood. Feminist, political, just a great read.

I told myself I‘d read one essay a day for six days and read six a day for one day. Polley writes thoughtfully about motherhood, childbirth, child actors, sexual assault, living with a brain injury. She has a keen eye for self-observation and doesn‘t shy away from complexity.

Sarah said she never wanted to act, but instead write, and she has written six very thoughtful essays about the perils of being a child actor, assault in the pre-me too era, motherhood and difficult birth, and having a life-altering head injury. Her essays about acting were hard to read. I loved watching her as a kid, and I was sorry to read how much trauma the experience caused. It‘s not a pity party but a considered look at employing minors. ⬇️

I‘m so late on #NewReleaseTuesday that I‘ve already finished the tagged book!

My library rarely gets fiction books on audio that I‘m interested in, but I‘m really excited about these nonfiction titles.

Beauty of Dusk is really interesting so far. I couldn‘t imagine going partially blind in my 50s!

Never Simple I saw in the Goodreads newsletter for March. I‘m unsure about it, but I‘ll try.

Insect crisis really fascinates my inner scientist!