Welcome to Litsy!

#CharacterCharm Day 29: I have been reading more of the works of #Poet Mary Oliver now that I have quit social media (Facebook, X, Instagram) over the past months. Poetry seems infinitely better for the soul.

I accidentally used a Everand credit on this when I meant to grab Yukon Alone. After a half hour of confusion about the book being about King Salmon and not an adventure race I figured it out and found the book very interesting. King salmon run along the Yukon River but like many other species are suffering with climate change and overfishing. The author takes a canoe trip to talk to the people who live along the river and see the salmon.

This week I‘ve had the opportunity to visit a cousin who‘s been teaching in a dual language village school in Alaska for several years. She shared the essay “In Quinhagak” from this book. It details the writer‘s visit to a village where an archaeological dig is working to preserve a 500 year old village in the same area of Alaska before it‘s washed away by the sea. It was fascinating to read and see details similar to the village where she lives.

Memoirs aren't always my favorite, but this one was a hit for me on so many levels: I loved the nature and ecology, the exploration of family and belonging and connection to place, defying expectations in a quiet way. I was surprised to learn that Lanham wasn't an experienced writer before this because his prose flows so well, and he does such a great job conveying emotion without becoming sappy (as many memoirs do). Loved this one!

It's nothing like Lanham's Home Place, but it's my Home Place (or one of them), and I love it when it's like this. Reading about Lanham's home and family in all of their complexity while planning a trip to visit my family of origin (and a couple of alternate-dimension homes) has me reflecting about how much I love being from so many places---even as I kind of crave some roots. The mid-life crisis just goes on and on, it seems.

#tuesdaytunes
@TieDyeDude

Needed calming music today, so my National Parks playlist it is. 🎶
Link, if interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4DQhkB9o9WaXoDdLcZA1B1

If you think this cover is one of the most beautiful you've seen,I can guarantee you, the book is just as beautiful.Full review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7404839913

I‘ve had this forever and finally gave it some the time it deserved. It is lovely, unique and quietly powerful. The cadence of the prose is hypnotic and the way she crafts a sentence! I moved between my print copy and on #audio and can see why this won the Pulitzer prize, well deserving of all the praise. #Roll100 @PuddleJumper

Many moons ago I did an environmental studies minor in college and this book was mentioned repeatedly. I‘m glad Leopold exists for having influenced so many in thinking about the natural world, but much as I‘ve tried for several years now, this book is not for me. It just doesn‘t hold my interest.

My #Roll100 and #ReadorDonate list is done (I use the same list). First up in January will be the tagged, hoping to read 2 titles for #Roll100 January and 1 for #ReadorDonate . @PuddleJumper @julieclair I read 54 books from my list in 2024, can I beat it in 2025?