A book of our times, for sure! What makes a monster? Must we cancel not only the bad men who create art but also their music/movies/paintings/books? What about Michael Jackson? Who can stomach Woody Allen films these days? Are we monsters too, if we admit to enjoying their content? Dederer poses these questions but doesn‘t give definitive answers in most cases. Thought provoking. I really enjoyed this!

Is “beauty-horror” a sub-genre? This was an entertaining audio but not particularly memorable, since I read this several books ago and forgot to review it, I can confirm this.

Beauty obsessed women at a beauty company (goop-like?) are desperately seeking the next treatment to keep them looking youthful. How do they manage it? And what‘s up with all the interns coming and going?

Volume one of this graphic novel is massive and well-known. Many have been awaiting book two, including myself. I found that Ferris‘s sophomore effort didn‘t feel as necessary and novel as the first book. That being said, it‘s still got some of the most amazing and intricate drawings in any graphic novel I‘ve read. The artwork feels like the point in this one, and the storyline just has to figure out how to match up. I‘d still read a vol 3!

I read and loved “The One” by John Marrs and I‘ve been meaning to read more from him ever since. Unfortunately this one wasn‘t nearly as thought provoking, but it still had some redeeming qualities. I did figure out a major “twist” nearly immediately. I was waiting for another huge reveal that never really came. Much here about dementia and those in the home health care field, in Britain apparently called “carers”. Fine but I was expecting more.

Another graphic novel down. This was a quick read about the intersection of at least 7 individuals in the 80s. Back stories for each person led us to a conclusion and to ultimately learn about “the body” in the title but also all the other bodies, of our characters. I liked the vibe, and the various points of view held my interest.

I‘d call this a love story but not a romance, if that makes sense. I‘ve seen this compared to Sally Rooney and I can see that, even though I know many don‘t enjoy that reference but there you have it. Will and Rose find themselves gravitating towards one another time and again though many circumstances keep them apart. Told over the course of many years, from the time they‘re teens through their 30-40s. Surprised at how much I was invested!

I love this book! Sy Montgomery lives the life I should be living! She works with animals and their carers or those who study them and then writes books about her experiences. She‘s written about octopuses, pigs, and a collection of essays, “How to be a Good Creature”. This one is my favorite of hers I‘ve read so far though. These turtles and the people who serve them have my heart! I admire the rescue organizations Sy mentions in the book.

This is one of those books that‘s asks a bit more of readers than I‘m usually willing to give. 😆 just being honest! I‘ll admit I was often lost on the connections between characters and was unhappily jolted out of the narrative to meet even more characters and settings. HOWEVER, some of the writing about death and loss stopped me in my tracks and forced me to give this a little more time than I normally would. A short, but not quick little book.

Turns out I neglected to post a review of James here after reading it the week it came out (months ago at this point). I realized I couldn‘t find my review of this after it was the winner of #camplitsy24. Kinda makes me wonder how many other books I‘ve missed over the years. Anyhoo, as many have already mentioned here, it‘s a great read, and I‘m glad to see Everett being more widely read.

Correcting others‘ grammar is a little cringe these days. Curzan makes the case for those of us who love words to be kinder and more curious about different ways to get our points across. She argues that we KNOW what is being communicated most of the time, and pointing out “mistakes” is mostly mean-spirited, if not outright racist in some situations. Usage of it‘s/its, they, pronouns, etc. all covered thoughtfully. I really enjoyed this!

My library‘s book club pick for August—I‘ll lead the meeting tomorrow. This is a heavy-handed novel to create empathy in readers (southerners in particular) who may be against gay marriage. The story is fine, and the characters were nicely written but most of them were a mouthpiece for the agenda. Of course I 100% support gay marriage and I love that this book exists but I don‘t enjoy being preached to while reading, even if I love the message.

A nonfiction satire about the idea that birds are actually government surveillance devices. Silly and over the top, it was too much to actually listen to for 4 hours but was funny for the first 15-20 minutes. I had to bail, but it‘s a great example of how easily outrageous conspiracies spread these days. People will believe just about anything, it turns out. Scary stuff.

Of Boys and Men is included on Obama‘s summer reading list. I snagged this audiobook immediately, as it was new to me and I‘m over here trying to raise a couple of boys. At 7 hrs, it‘s a doable look at how men and boys are caught between two narratives: “the problem” or ignored by the left and toxic culture/manly man weirdness of the right. It‘s political but also focuses on policies that could help-like red shirting boys in kindergarten.

Disturbing, yet so hard to put down. Carolanne is a modern woman. She lives alone with her cat and falls asleep at night to the glow of others‘ Instagram posts. Will she ever be congratulated on milestones in her own life? The anticipation of what will become of her life builds and things get DARK. Pretty much all the trigger warnings for this one, so beware. Definitely not for sensitive readers. This continues my GN current obsession.

Many newer titles in the true crime genre have shifted focus away from perpetrators and onto victims. This book does do an excellent job of capturing the essence of Carrie/Carolyn/Coco. It‘s always a question of the author‘s motivation behind the book. This time, the author didn‘t know the victim as well as the subtitle led me to believe. She did spend hours with those close to Carrie. Her murderer was also covered. Low pick.

It‘s a read outside kind of lunch break today. Beautiful weather! Also, continuing my graphic novel kick with this creepy little book.

Back in the book drop goes Monica. I‘ve been seeing this graphic novel mentioned in several lists naming it a “must read”. And I‘ve gotta say: I don‘t agree. It‘s too out there for me. Monica‘s search for her parents starts off interestingly enough but the jarring dreams/hallucinations/weird thoughts got to be a bit much. Of course, the illustrations are fabulous, although this isn‘t exactly my favorite style. So-so.

It was high time that I read this. What would have been Baldwin‘s 100th birthday just passed, and I saw many references to his work. This is a slim work (2.5 hour audiobook) about race in America. It‘s about religions and the realities of life for black people in the 1960s, all presented frankly and succinctly. I can‘t do much better than the reviews that say simply: “read this”. It still applies today.

A #camplitsy24 pick, Bear is a book about two sisters caring for their mother on an island in the Pacific Northwest. They are young adults and should be out enjoying themselves but are bound to their home due to isolating circumstances: caregiving, constantly working trying to make ends meet, all without help. Then, the titular character shows up! Bears don‘t live on their island. What does this mean for the sisters? Fine, but I had higher hopes.

I‘m on a graphic novel kick.
And at baseball practice. Feels like fall here in Southern Ohio! 🍂 ⚾️

Two things:
1. Meet Olympia — the kitten that my youngest son adopted and she‘s won all of us over ♥️
2. I love Lucy Knisley and I‘ll read anything she creates. This book is a one-sitting read for not just cat-lovers, anyone really. But cat lovers will be especially charmed.
Perfect timing that we have a new buddy just when I picked up Knisley‘s latest.

I adored Nezhukumatathil‘s World of Wonders. This follow up focuses on food instead of the natural world, which is another of my favorite things to think about. There‘s beautiful illustrations at the beginning of each essay about various foods. Each food evokes a memory or association for the author. A perfect blend of food writing, memoir, and history.

I was invested in the many characters, over the different timelines. The main action happens in 1975 at a summer camp owned by the wealthy Van Leers. A camper goes missing and several perspectives emerge. Flashbacks to an earlier disappearance in 1961 leave us to wonder if the two are connected. Excellent storytelling weave these threads together. I wasn‘t prepared for how downright sad this is; Moore hit me in the motherhood feels.

J. Courtney Sullivan always hits for me. This seems to be a departure from her normal type of book, but still set in Maine (how many Maine books can I read in one year!? 🤔) and still features dysfunctional families. In this book, the center of the story is a historic home on the coast of Maine. Sullivan zooms in on each of the inhabitants over time, and makes connections between characters, and the past and present. I really enjoyed this!

A propulsive work of nonfiction about an intense catfishing episode suffered by the author and at least two others, who join forces to uncover the truth of who “Ethan” really is. And let me tell you, I was shocked to find out who was behind this debacle. I hate that these intelligent individuals got scammed, but I love that they came together to fight back. A good (and super fast!) audio as well.

I heard about this from @Megabooks review where she described this as “juicy” and it certainly is! Phil Elwood is a PR guy who has done horrible things he‘s now not proud of which he shares here. This really gives readers an idea of how the public relations machine works, in relation to journalism and (often horrible) clients. His conscience gets the better of him and he seeks treatment and begins using his tactics for “the good guys”.

Started what‘s largely considered “the book of the summer” after a chiropractic appointment. Treated myself to a latte and some breakfast. The women at the table next to me were talking politics, book clubs, and their favorite spicy reads. I wanted to join in but I‘m a booktrovert so I stayed in my own space.

First of all, this cover 😍
This one really expanded on my knowledge of psychedelics, which I learned so much about from “How to Change Your Mind” - Michael Pollan. These two books are similar, but Londono‘s felt much more personal and less thoroughly researched. I don‘t mean that in a negative way. Convincing argument to allow those who are suffering with severe mental illnesses to make use of psychedelics. Excellent example using veterans.

Read for #disabilitypride month in July, and just now getting around to reviewing here. I really appreciate the multiple perspectives here that helped open my eyes to the issues of disability intimacy. Wong is also the editor of Disability Visibility, which I have yet to read, and I wonder how similar they are. One of the most memorable perspectives from this was the plural person, describing their experiences with multiplicity.

I‘m the exact audience for this audio and so much of it hit! I was born the same year as the author so the cultural references (God must have spent a little more time on you 🎶) were so relatable. As a huge memoir fan, I was also totally fine with the MANY personal asides, which is honestly what I was expecting. Spice girls, weirdo purity rings, early 00s mean girls/sleepovers, a fellow swiftie🫶, and much more. Honestly, I could‘ve written this.

Lauren returns home from a night out to discover a strange man in her apartment. He knows her name and seems to believe he‘s her husband…? He eventually goes up to the attic and another “husband” returns. Lauren has a magic attic! Can you imagine? Sending a husband away when you are ready for another?? Punchy, British, witty, highly entertaining but with heart. I really loved this and it‘ll be a standout for my summer reading of 2024!

As @squirrelbrain said, I‘m a latecomer to #CampLitsy this week! I didn‘t have the 1st half read by Saturday, but I‘ve finished now. The 4 Irish Flattery sisters are grown now, but were left to rely only on each other after a tragic incident during their adolescence. Readers just get a glimpse into their childhood in bits, but learn about their adult lives…especially when they come together in the second half. I had high hopes but it fell flat.

Visited a not-my-library library yesterday and checked out a couple graphic novels. I love Lucy Knisley but after getting home I realized I have already read French Milk, so Monica is the only one I‘ll be reading. I always like visiting different libraries to see what they‘ve got going on. 😊

August #BookSpin

Reading while one boy is in his tutoring session and another practices his sight words at the university library.

A gorgeous book about the ARK movement in Ireland. ARK—acts of restorative kindness for the earth. The information presented within is not new to me, but it will be to many who are new to the journey of rewilding/creating a native environment and its packaged in such a lovely vessel! The illustrations are downright beautiful, very whimsical. I‘ve doubled down on my efforts to create a native ecosystem in my space. I‘ll be recommending this often!

The Anomaly is a French bestseller, and I listened to the translated audiobook which was surprising and versatile in its focus. A hard book to pin down, as it begins with various perspectives which are very different but each I found myself invested in. Then, things switch gears when we veer into a science fiction bit via airplane. Governments, and religious leaders become involved. Identity, spirituality, destiny, control, and moral conundrums.

Our library‘s book club read for July, This Tender Land, was a hit for most of the group, one even called it a favorite. While I‘m less enthusiastic than others, I can see the appeal of this story of orphans who band together to escape an Indian boarding school and travel by river to meet many different people along the way. Religious healers, alcoholic-down-on-your-luck men, a brothel, etc pepper this with characters and signs of the time (1932).

Another book set in Maine—this one is a novel that feels like true crime. A lobsterman is found dead in the water off a remote island. A federal agent, who‘s wrestling with his own demons, is on the case to solve the mystery of what happened. The remote setting, the insular community, and the crime made this an enthralling read. It also seems hyper realistic. I actually had to check and be sure I was reading a novel and not nonfiction!

Graphic novel + Olympics 🥇

A 1.5 hour audiobook, written in museum display format of a woman‘s lifetime. Kitty was originally from the collection of her parents but then transfers to her husbands‘ collections. This is repeated at the beginning of each chapter which makes it a tedious audiobook listen, so perhaps this would have been better in print. An original concept but not as impactful for me, likely due to the length and format.

Sable Young reviews products for the beauty industry and writes about her experiences here. I was entertained by these essays but they were much lighter than I expected based on the title and cover art. The tone is often jovial and less critical of the wellness and beauty culture than I thought it would be. But, a pick! Ps—I couldn‘t find a picture to go with this so I dug out this photo from the Taylor Swift concert last year.

Cassandra Quave is on a quest to discover new medicines derived from plants to cure diseases. She makes a convincing argument that we should be dedicating more resources to the search for and study of plants that may be used as treatments rather than relying only on human created compounds. Quave has a personal reason for this quest: she underwent surgeries due to birth defects and suffered a severe staff infection. Great audio!

Twist upon twist! A story of privilege and generational wealth, haves vs have-nots with plenty of intrigue and murder. I found this entertaining while I was listening to the audiobook but I‘m likely to forget the entire thing in no time. I appreciate it for the entertainment while it lasted though! I read another by Hawkins that I enjoyed a bit more than this, but it was pure entertainment, tagged below. A nice palate cleanser.

Spent the entire weekend at The Hoop Project (street basketball tournament) watching my oldest ball it up, with the help of this entertaining book. I‘m loving it!
Ps — his team took the championship! 🏀

Absolutely adored this book, one of my best of the year so far! Margo is endearing and I often found her relatable, even though nothing about her life resembles my own. She doesn‘t have it all figured out yet, but she‘s earnest and she‘s trying. I have loved all of Thorpe‘s books and this is no exception. Most of her novels feature father-daughter relationships and it‘s done best in this latest. All the stars!

Wowza, what a wild ride. I read this super quickly, it‘s like a train wreck impossible to look away from, and I had to see how far our menopausal MC would unravel. While I did read chunks of the book, I really enjoyed the audiobook narrated by July herself, which added to my appreciation. This is about a midlife crisis, realizing what‘s important, desire, sexuality, motherhood, and wanting what you can‘t have but having it anyway. #camplitsy24

I was really in the mood for a post-apocalyptic read. Camp Zero greatly lacked in world building, which is something I need for this type of book. The idea was intriguing: a camp at the top of the world where sex workers take center stage. Some sections I enjoyed, like how the perspectives came together but overall I found it seriously lacking and it will likely be forgettable.

This follow up to There There is worthy, but does not surpass what Orange has done originally with the characters and vibes of his first novel. I enjoyed the audiobook‘s various narrators which emphasized various Native American experiences, both past and present. Themes of heritage, addiction, and familial connection across generations.

I‘m no fantasy reader! Gave this a go for our library‘s fantasy book club but I just can‘t do it 🙂‍↔️ bail!!