Welcome to Litsy!

Read for my book club….
#pop23 #setinhollywood

Very interesting story, well written, but I found it quite repetitive. Which is understandable considering the story being told, but just not for me. The repeating pattern of Chysta‘s mum‘s new relationship, moneymaking scheme, crash and burn…. Started to feel like I was stuck in a revolving door, which I‘m sure is how Chrysta felt. But just stopped me loving what I was reading. 🤷‍♀️

What is a “normal” family? Most people would probably reply, “I can‘t say for sure, but definitely not this one.” The author certainly had a unique upbringing. I would have preferred more about the DNA and the 35 siblings she discovered and less about her emotionally unstable mother. The descriptions of the author‘s childhood reminded me of “The Glass Castle,” although it‘s not as well written.

#Nonfiction2023

My latest #treadmillBook didn‘t usually inspire me to walk longer, but was still interesting. It intersects the DNA testing craze and dysfunctional family memoir, and as such hits the mark. I disagree with those who found the mother the star. To me, it was the author who came across as loving both her parents in spite of the horrible start they gave her, and managing to create a stable, loving family for herself.

This was such as fascinating memoir. Chrysta Bilton has anything but a normal family in many ways but she tells the story of her mother and her donor father with a lot of compassion. Her mother is really the star of this book. This was a good follow up having read The Lost Family, about ancestry databases, a couple of years ago.

This was my first book from the #AuldLangSpines list I got from @Cinfhen and it was a winner!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I didn‘t find “Donor 150” interesting at all, and have no idea why there would ever be some bizarre family reunion with sperm-donor half siblings, BUT the rest of the story was pretty incredible.

Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Total Educated (Tara Westover), American Daughter (Stephanie Thornton Plymale), Hidden Valley Road (Robert Kolker) & Nowhere Girl (Cheryl Diamond) vibes--- absolutely engrossing. With each chapter I think there can't be more to the story but then there is and as it builds and builds you think it can't get more complicated but it does. Wow wow wow. Will absolutely be a top read for 2022 for me.

‘Coming of age memoirs that feature nontraditional childhoods‘ —there‘s an entire sub genre of this and Normal Family fits perfectly here. Conceived via AI, in a pretty random fashion, Chrysta‘s childhood is in constant upheaval. Chrysta‘s mother goes through many partners, pets, homes, jobs, and lifestyles. Readers know from the get-go that her father has fathered MANY children who are finding each other via dna testing. A great read.

I DEVOURED this book - even when I wasn‘t listening I was either thinking about it or telling others about it. Much more than just Donor 150‘s story. Chrystal‘s mom was such a dynamic personality- I was enthralled by her. Debra, yearned to have a child, but as a single gay woman in 1980s California, she had few options & still Debra always found a way to get what she wanted. Crazzzzy story - fantastic narration- loved it!!!

I think this might be my favorite memoir of the year / you know me so well @Megabooks 💕🙌🏻🎧I‘m HOOKED @Chelsea.Poole #OBSESSED

What a memoir! This is Chrysta‘s story, growing up with a lesbian mom who wanted to have a child. Enter donor 150, before he began donating to the California sperm bank. Dysfunctional, well written, and extremely entertaining. Reminds me a bit of Educated and The Glass Castle.

This is better than a soap opera! A really interesting story about really interesting people that is really well written.

If you were to ask what books I most “enjoy,” I‘d say well-executed books like this. Although most families are uniquely dysfunctional, I find it cathartic when I can relate, in whatever small way, to other people. I long for connection, even if simply to acknowledge that we made it, despite how difficult it was.

Highly recommend. I know I‘ll be thinking about it for a long time to come.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

I came across Bilton‘s interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air which led me to this memoir. More the story of Bilton‘s dysfunctional childhood, I went down many rabbit holes about her family - both her sperm donor father (the most requested Donor 150) and her larger-than-life mother. If you‘re interested in intriguing family dynamics, this one is for you.

You may have read about Donor 150 from the CA Sperm Bank in the NYT or seen the documentary, but he had two daughters from AI before he began donating to the bank. This is three stories: the older daughter‘s unstable life with her moms and sister, her dad coming in and out of it with his slow slide into mental illness, and eventually connecting with some of his dozens of AI children. All are fascinating stories. A must-read for memoir lovers!