Welcome to Litsy!

Another set of quirky book data that I record is setting. This year more than half the books I read took place primarily in the US or the UK. Of the rest, 12 were set in many places or nowhere, and six were set in some fantasy realm.

The book that took place closest to my home was Inner Harbor, set almost entirely in Maryland.

The book that took place farthest away, if not in terms of actual distance then in remoteness, is Wild Dark Shorep.

Wonderful beautiful picture book. Its a wordless story about a robot who tends to the animals in a neglected zoo. A heavy rainfall comes and the robot has to figure out how to move the animals to safety. Cute ending. The illustrations throughout are just amazing.

Low pick, but overall solid. It‘s more inspirational than how-to, and some of the essays are better than others. I‘d #borrownotbuy for most readers.

So far, this essay is my favorite. It echoes Simon Rosenberg‘s Hopium Chronicles (on Substack) message that despair is a choice we can‘t afford, or as Joyce Vance of Civil Discourse (also on Substack) titled her book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable.

“Yes, there is beauty to uncover still. It won‘t disappear the despair, or grief, or heartbreak, but it can, perhaps, prevent us from sinking into them.”

My reading buddy is getting more & more slightly annoyed with me evertime I move to get more comfy. 😬🤦‍♀️😜

Yes, it‘s true that you can‘t solve the climate crisis alone, but it‘s even more true that we can‘t solve it without you. It‘s a team sport.

From “Here‘s Where You Come In” by Mary Annaïse Heglar

Next up - I‘m hoping for a little boost of positivity from this little nonfiction anthology.

The narrative structure detracted from the information presented. The story line jumped from place to place and to varying groups of people in a very helter skelter way. The actual information about the volcanic eruption was magnificent.

After seeing everyone, including the year-end lists, rave about this I think my take will be a bit of an #unpopularopinion 😅
I liked the Jane Eyre undertones (or are they more overt?) but I found the parade of trauma to be extremely oppressive. I think Ive decided I dislike how much this author wallows, making you really work for the hope.