Welcome to Litsy!

Starting this library book. 1969. Bethany, VT. (fictional village)
#libraryfind #VT

The three “disorderly men” of the title are detained in a police raid of a gay bar, charged with disorderly conduct. It is pre-Stonewall, early 1960s NYC when being gay meant a lot of shame, rejection, secrets, and ostracism. We follow the personal stories of each man as their lives eventually intersect. It is a sobering reminder of the cumulative emotional damage that occurs when gay people shoulder the burden of a forced closeted existence.

Ella Fitzgerald is one of my favorite singers. I don‘t know much about Marilyn Monroe, so it was interesting and sad to learn more about her life. I was impressed with how strong Ella was. She stayed away from all alcohol and drugs, in contrast to Marilyn who struggled severely. She stood up for herself professionally and personally, despite race and attractiveness. Both struggled with difficult childhoods, men, and fertility.

I gave this one 50 pages and can‘t convince myself to pick it back up so it‘s a bail for me. I wanted to and should have liked it, based on the summary. But I just couldn‘t do the writing style 😢

I‘ve read some great nonfiction this year, but this was the best of the bunch.

September 23rd #SchoolSpirit Bicycle I love Queen, but I have never heard this song before
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Book club choice after we'd enjoyed West With Giraffes.
The style is supposed to he a 13 year old narrator which didn't feel consistent and had a few cringy bits in it. I liked the historical perspective and that it covered important topics but it felt contrived.
Simple read and flew through it.

An emotional and historically rich story set against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall's construction in 1961. The premise is gripping: young lovers, Lise Bauer and Uli Neumann, find themselves cruelly separated by the sudden division of their city, forcing them to navigate life on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain.

However, while the plot had plenty of action and conflict, I found the characters lacking in depth.

I really enjoyed this and even more after meeting her at the national book festival.