Have you seen Ann Pratchett's response to David Brook's editorial about current literary fiction? Apparently, it doesn't add anything to today's world? I read the article. He says, "I am saying that literature plays a much smaller role in our national life and that this has a dehumanizing effect on our culture." She gives it to him with outstanding examples. "If trees are too liberal for you,.." I just think of @TheBookHippie Reading is political.

#WeeklyForecast

Also, Whispers from the Shadows (Christian Fiction-Roseanna White and Tilt (Emma Pattee

#fanart #SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern I love Hogwarts, but the way Maas describes the quiet beauty of Rhysand's Moonstone Palace in Velaris....

CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY....

LOL, I just realized young readers won't know that commercial from the 80s.

I can't push myself anymore. I don't understand how an author can write about the abuse of children. I'm sure there's an audience-especially those who like criminal science and the psychology of monsters, but I am not such an audience member.

He is such a precious soul. Readers go through his Hollywood life from The Fonz to Barry. The book clearly is his way of therapy - being raised by Jews who held guilt from escaping and leaving family in Europe in 39, his battle with dyslexia, his anxiety, and lack of self-worth.

The vulnerability that Mr. Winker shared kept me engaged. I didn't want to miss a detail of his growth. I love the fact that he doesn't resent his iconic role.

I chose this for two reasons. It was free, and it was about Henri's mistress. Watching The Serpent Queen, I wanted to visit the perspective of Catherine de Medici's nemesis.

I didn't learn anything new, except Dianne raised all of Henri's children and Queen Mary of Scotland.

I might as well have read a Danielle Steele.

I had not heard about Isis brides till I opened this book. These are girls who were groomed to be exploited. After the war, these displaced widows were placed in camps. They were considered a danger to their native countries.

I think I read it with my mouth gaped open the whole time. Did this really happen? Apparently, it was fiction. Most of the ISIS brides were Syrians and Iraqis, but there were deradicalization programs to help these women.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

What a book! Every time I picked it up, the world fell away from my mind. The plot mirrors The Epic of Gilgamesh and other ancient historical sources.

Aren't heist plots fun? This one is just simply delicious.

I'm just having the most fun with this series. #LittensloveSJM Thank you @StayCurious for leading us.

I change my baby's name on my current favorite book character. It is just a thing I do to aggravate my friends and family. Her nickname is currently Ruhn Dannon, a Maas character. I haven't found a character yet that I adore as much as Nesta ACOTAR or Ruhn CC, but knowing Maas, one will come.

I can understand the hype around this young adult series.

The family dynamic was so sweet and supportive. Not one argument except when a son and his mother had a goose hunting contest. Now, I have to decide if I am invested in the family's future to continue the series. Probably not.

Lessons learned:
There are three types of courage - 1 You are yourself no matter what anyone says. You are your past, present, and future and you will fight anyone who tries to put you in a box. 2 You come out to one person at a time till you can deal with the repercussions (you may lose some, but look at what you will gain). 3 Even hiding yourself is courageous when you have to leave those you love and embrace the unknown.
YOU NEED SUPPORT...

As a child of 14 in the late 1980s, I wanted to learn everything I could about the Holocaust. I learned about the hate, the torture, the firing squads. Being ignorant, yet thinking I knew everything, I was glued to the TV that Christmas week watching a President and his wife executed. I could not believe what I was seeing. I thought persecution was over. That it died. This was the first genocide I remember in my lifetime.

The first time I read that Charlotte Holmes becomes unraveled. Her closest friend, Lord Ingram, becomes the presumed killer of his wife. I simply adore their relationship. He lets Charlotte be herself, regardless of what society tries to force her to be. There is quite a bit of humor in this book since she pretends to be a man. I'm so tickled I found this series.

The characters were well developed during Spanish Inquisition when Phillip wanted to erase the culture and lives of the Jews, the Moors, and the ones who believed differently. Families were turning on each other. Bardugo created a world where individuals committed treason by working miracles. How will they save themselves? I usually don't like HF/Fantasy hybrid. I think it's a mockery of a difficult time, but Bardugo HONORED those who died.

The politics, intrigue, and revenge were very well written. I was afraid it would be the same old, same old, bit it wasn't. Looking forward to the next.

It seems my summer is full of fantasy, and that is fine by me.

Such a sweet start to a romance. She has to deal with an inferior complex stemming from her abusive family. He does not like the fake attention he receives from females.

I tried manga tonight because my Chaya reads it. I was pleased. My only whine is that I couldn't manipulate the font/page from my Kindle so I could read it. Which has nothing to do with the author's work or the illustrations.

I really like Lila's smart mouth. Getting ready to start the next book.

Done

#LitsyAtoZ @texreader Thank you for coordinating. I certainly read some good ones.

At first, I thought the title implied the unruliness of royalty from Alfred to Elizabeth I. Oh, no. It is David Mitchell's irreverent, and sometimes, irrelevant, and a lot of times, blasphemous humor. It was like Finding Waldo. Where are the facts in the midst of a three page rant of why Hollywood killed James Bond? I know he wrote it during the covid lockdown. He must have been so bored. I still like him as a comedian. #LitsyAtoZ @Texreader

#FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

My Peruvian meal - bought Peruvian Style Roast Chicken Marinade from Inca's Food (Aderezo Pollo la Brasa) and a baked potato to honor where potatos originated.

I should have liked this because it was compared to Cormac McCarthy. Tom Rourke is nothing like Billy Parham or John Cole. It doesn't have that lovely poetic description of the wilderness, the earnest respect for animals, the yearning for the girls they love.

The book is described as being funny. Where?

It may have been the narrator. He sounded like a killer from a horror film, but I am just not in a hurry to get the print version to see.

Loving Jonathan Bailey and stalking him on google, I knew he played Shakespeare's Richard II earlier this year. I also adore Gaunt's and Kathryn Swynford's love story.

I learned so much from this book, such as Gaunt and his son, the future Henry IV, supported Richard. His arrogance and entitlement ruined his chances of a successful reign. Henry had even gone into exile peacefully until his inheritance was stolen.

I really want to read the play.

I predict this book will win many awards. This book is so creatively written by weaving the love of stories with ideas of new technology.

While reading, I learned that individuals don't want to be boxed-in by labels. Okorafor is more than a sci-fi or a speculative writer; she's a bloody good storyteller by mirroring all parts of herself in her art. Im going to take this lesson to heart.

#CampLitsy25 @Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

Kate Quinn is becoming one of my all-time favorite historical fiction novelists. This one is about 4 cousins who try to stay out of the men fighting for their chance to be the next Caesar. Although they do realize they have to fight in their own unique way to save those they love. #Italy #Jubilee #FoodandLit #letterq #AtoZLitsy @Texreader @Catsandbooks

I finally decided to buy a digital copy of #CampLitsy I was missing important details. It didn't have anything to do with the narration. I understand so much more #AfricanFuturism

@Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

#SundayFunDay @BookmarkTavern

I see Schwab's name everywhere, so when I saw The Fragile Threads of Power was available on Litsy last night, I grabbed it. I realized by chapter 3 that it's reading like a series. Did a little digging, paused Fragile Threads, and started A Darker Shade this morning.

I have finally read this important document that reasoned with colonists to break away from the tyranny of a British king. He used Scriptures and history and just plain common sense to support his claim. I don't understand why I have never been asked to read it, but I thank @Librarybelle for the push. It is very readable and it is still relevant after 250 years.

...and that the elected might never form to themselves an interest separate from the electors,...

@Librarybelle

Ready to dive. @Librarybelle

Review for Donna Jo Stone's Promise Me Tomorrow

Twins, who are sixteen and also diagnosed on the spectrum, have to deal with the onset of declining health and imminent death of their mother. Nina is a catastrophist, but she tries hard to figure out how not to do the wrong things. At times, she bottles up those intense emotions by scratching herself raw. In addition to fighting everyone around her, she is protective of her brother,

Hard to type through my emotions. This is a middle grade nonfiction of Gerta and Rudi's heartwrenching escapes from Slovakia. Rudi's escape from Auschwitz resulted in FDR demanding Hungary to stop transports to the death camp. They may have saved a 1/3 of the JewishHungarians. Gerta and her mother crossed Hungary's and Slovakia's borders several times to keep ahead of imprisonment. When asked how to make sure it won't happen again, BE VIGILANT.

I'm in the middle of two incredible books that are equally tearing me apart.

Promise Me Tomorrow needs to be added to the database. I'm reading it, thanks to LibraryThing.

It may be menopause, but Mandy has made emotional. A realistic look of an orphan who experienced bitterness and frustration because she doesn't understand the feelings of desiring something of her own. She thinks it's a cottage she needs, but it's a family.

It just reminds me of the peace and joy of reading my wonderful books as a child. The font, the yellowing pages, the smell, all make me forget I am an adult and I back to simpler times.

I do not enjoy sci-fi, but I have read a few so far this year. I reread Ender, which then sent me to this series. Lands above! It may be better than Hunger Games @Chrissyreadit A "Red" (miner from Mars) loses his beloved wife, gets a horrendous, painful makeover, and then infiltrates the "Gold" (tyrant) society. Darrow is a one-of-a-kind hero. The competition is downright brutal. He can't trust anyone, but he gains loyalty. #overcomingevilempires

Ava and Jules have true emotional issues they need to work through individually before they can mesh as a couple. One is a highly anxious person, and the other is free spirit. I related to both. I try not to get on people's nerves, but my impulsiveness just throws that goal out the window.

Any author could write about the trials of working through the pain of young love, but Nino Cipri set their work in the multiverse. So clever and cute.

The icy waters near Antarctica helped to beat the summer heat. McConaghy used all of our senses to create a stunning world, which added to the suspense of the story. This was my first book of McConagy and I was impressed with how she weaved the climate crisis into the plot. Thank you @squirrelbrain for the wonderful discussion. #CampLitsy25 @BarbaraBB @Megabooks

Bengali snack - sweet and sour chanachur

Peanuts, rice, raisins, carom seeds, nigella seeds, sugar dust, dried mango powder, chili powder, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger powder, and asafoetida

Really behind on the food for #FoodandLit Although, I have a Peruvian restaurant close to me. @Texreader @Catsandbooks

I really enjoy nonfiction when the author travels, meets new people, and learns about new cultures. MacQuarrie follows the Andes through Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina to research the Ice Maiden, Pablo Escobar, Hiram Bingham, and so much more. He uses today's issues, such as bringing back ancient weaving and interweaves it with the archeology of yesterday's events. The entire book kept me glued. #FoodandLit @texreader @Catsandbooks

Fascinating art. I spent the whole morning studying the art. Just mesmerizing. #ChildrensClassicRead @TheBookHippie

It answered my questions about Italy's state politics and why Martin Luther was adamant about breaking away from the depravity of the church. Lucretia was not written as part of the evil; she was a tool to further her father's powers. It was Cesare who was the ruthless murderer. #Jubilee #FoodandLit @texreader @catsandbooks

The concept was amazing. Deceased grandmother takes over Jessamyn's body to fight a multibillionaire who wants to destroy sacred Hindu spots. I enjoyed this book so much. #QueerBC @PuddleJumper

#LittensLoveSJM @StayCurious

Many times, I was on the edge of my seat.

I loved everything about this book. Living in Greenland was hard, and they had to be hard to survive. It took years for ships and news from Europe to arrive. The book follows the lives of a brother and sister, and I read it like a soap opera. Ooh, what is Gunnar going to do next? It had suspense, affairs, romance, revenge, and death (Guiding Light didn't have starvation). The best part was the storytelling. #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

Literally looking at tagged book while physically sitting in beautiful, historic Savannah.

#WhereareyouMonday? @Cupcake12

Vacation = 22 year old female + 14 year old female = 1 momma tired of placating them, especially when she just wants to read.

Meet Ruhn Dannon/Snickers. He was behind the school and walked right up to us. Bathed him, fed, and watered him. Chaya was absolutely tickled when he fell asleep in her arms. Just waiting for the vet's appointment next week, but he is already ours. #LittensLoveSJM Ruhn is one of my favorite characters.