Aww, I loved this. Funny and sweet. My favorite part was the heavy focus on fall foods. 😄 This + a cozy autumn ASMR room was the perfect first night of October activity. And 🤞 that this + a lighter work/family schedule this week busts my mini reading slump.

An exhausting work week meant next to no brain power for my normal audiobook routine; only true crime podcasts or old Dateline eps would do, until I remembered that true crime books are a thing and that I had several waiting on my Libby shelf. 😆 This was a well done narrative and I liked how much we learned about the surviving family. Enjoyed it a bit less in the memoir-y moments (even though I love memoirs), but those were relatively rare.

I love my library system. This is part of a Twitter thread featuring the library mascot Odi the Coyote reading the most banned books. 😁❤️ #BannedBooksWeek

I can‘t believe I filled a whole book bingo card! 😮🎉 I‘ve always regarded the many bingo-related posts here with equal parts admiration and certainty that I could never complete a full card, so I have defied my own expectations. 😄 It was super fun to weave this into my summer reading and to discover at the final hour (it was due today) that I could make the books I read this summer fit into every one of the categories.

I loved every minute of this! Not sure I would have made time for it had it not fulfilled the “Book Featuring a Dragon” square on my indie summer bingo card. Got extra excited when it turned out to also fulfill the eternal square on the bingo card living in my head of “Set in Wisconsin.” Nerdy, funny, moving, feminist, and fabulous. 💚💜💚💜💚

Been meaning to get to this one for a while. It‘s great! A super brief but thoughtful introduction to the expanding definitions and understandings of gender, and I like how it provides simple, direct responses to misconceptions, dismissals, and rejections of these. And it‘s all deepened by the author‘s willingness to share about their own experiences and perspectives throughout. Definitely something I'd consider using with students. #BannedBooks

I adored this collection of gorgeously written stories, each from a different animal‘s perspective. The main characters were so vivid and I loved them all. I think my favorite stories were the title one (with a tiger narrator), the donkey, the vulture…oh, and the rhino-keeper dog. But truly they all were great. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Thanks for the ARC of this, #TinHouse ! Out Tuesday.

This wasn‘t 100% for me, but I did enjoy aspects of the audiobook production and especially the podcast element of it. And it achieved the purpose for which I'd selected it, which was “A book with a punny title“ for my local indie's summer book bingo. ✅ 🙂

This was great! I appreciate how the author's story demonstrates the complexity of gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, interest in sex, and other ways we categorize and identify ourselves. Loved the art, too. Thanks, book banners, for helping to put this back on my radar! 😁

Cookbooks on audio = a revelation!! Stumbled upon this while trying to preview the ebook and loved the listening experience. Fun book with many great tips and engaging author narration. But what I loved most was how this entered my brain in a different, more lasting way than when I read a print cookbook cover-to-cover. This audio production didn‘t include the recipes, just the narrative parts (though I do love hearing recipes on audio). Great ⬇️

I liked this. Was concerned it might be a bit sentimental for my mood, but it mostly wasn't. I really liked the characters and enjoyed their interconnections (which often gave me Love Actually vibes, but not in the cringey way). Lovely Julia Whelan narration.

I had a review of this in mind but came here and saw that it was nearly identical to @jlhammar ‘s review! 🤣 From the growing up in Wisconsin and knowing the rough outlines of some famous WI murderer named Ed Gein to the learning of this book from @vivastory . 😄 My only review additions would be 1) I liked how they mixed primary source accounts and their own theories in the narrative and 2) maybe a few more “Eww!”s.

Completely adored this collection of essays about Gilpin's upbringing with actor parents, her insecurities and challenges, fun theater and Hollywood insider stuff, and more. Her quirky use of language and style of humor were totally for me, though maybe not for everyone. This line from the book sums up its appeal:
“My favorite kind of art is when someone tries their dark, silly, weird ideas.“ Same, Betty! Her performance of the audio was perfect.

Had I realized that Nagamatsu is currently a professor at my small Minnesota alma mater, I probably would have liked this even more!! (Thanks, alumni magazine!) I loved it a lot even before knowing. ❤️ #CampLitsy

How does Patrick Radden Keefe make everything so interesting?! I don‘t read his magazine pieces but clearly should, because each one in this collection was excellent. Still haven‘t read Say Nothing, must get to it!

Praise #CampLitsy for teaching me that I love Elif Batuman‘s books! 🙌 I forgot I‘d saved the second half of this and was so excited to return to it (though I seem to enjoy the school year parts more than the summer ones). Selin‘s overthinking is absolutely the worst, but it also manages to produce some deep insights - as I suppose overthinking is wont to do. Anyway, I‘d happily follow her awkward journey through college and beyond.

Had never read Fitzgerald‘s work before, though I‘d been intrigued by his books about tattoos. But he kept showing up in posts from other authors I admire, and, having lived in MA for a few years, I was hooked by the title of this one! I ended up liking it a lot. Speaking of “a lot”…his accounts of his often intense life experiences can certainly be that at times. But I liked his writing style, humor, and candor throughout.

Quite enjoyed this! Upon finishing, I added to Goodreads and the first review I saw was @ReadingEnvy ‘s. I miss her. Her review (link in comments) says much that I would re: why I enjoyed - the late 90s/early-email-era college experience, the navel-gazing aspect, and the author‘s audio narration. For me the Boston academia setting and Selin‘s naïveté also resonated. That I'm eager to jump right into Either/Or for #CampLitsy says a lot, I think!

Loved this. Brilliant and emotional and connects in layering ways to much of what society has been going through in recent years (re: race, yes, but other stuff, too). So much to discuss in relatively few pages. Adored the writing style, though I didn‘t know if I would at first. Grateful for a print copy of this from Riverhead, bc I otherwise likely would have tried in audio and am not sure I would have loved it as much that way. Out tomorrow!

This was such a perfect follow-up read to Reynolds and Griffin‘s Ain‘t Burned All the Bright, which I enjoyed last month in no small part because of how the endnotes described the long friendship between the two creators. This was basically more of that, so yay! I loved the experience of reading this one with 👀 and 👂 simultaneously - so many cool visuals, and both Jasons have lovely voices! #AuthorAMonth

Grateful for access to the audio of this, because I‘m among the legions who love a good Julia Whelan narration. There were a few things I was a little unsure about re: how some characters were represented, but it was an overall very enjoyable read with fun characters and dialogue, some LOL moments, and ample audiobook-nerd-pleasing references. (Thanks to #LibroFM for the #ALC !)

Nothing like starting out the weekend reading about existential threats to U.S. democracy! 😝 Great book, though. It‘s short yet provides lots of historical context for the “deep story” undergirding white Christian nationalism. I love how much data the sociologist authors include from their survey research. P.S. The book is far from anti-Christian and calls for coalition building between religious and secular folks across the political spectrum.

This didn't disappoint! Great premise (I'm up for pretty much any genetics-related sci fi), lots of fun twists and action, obviously will translate really well to the big screen. I have very strong feelings about the ending - will note whether those feelings were positive or negative in a spoiler comment below in case anyone doesn't like knowing whether people loved or hated the ending (sometimes I'm the person that doesn't want to know! 😁).

This was fantastic. I'm super impressed by Morgan Talty's writing voice and how it somehow perfectly conveys everything from everyday home life to normalized substance abuse and trauma to loving, complex relationships to intensely tragic moments. And I cared so much about what happened to David/Dee and his loved ones. Really enjoyed the audio (which I was grateful to access via the #librofm #ALC program).

I thought this was excellent! Loved the memoir + manifesto format. Arce‘s life can be viewed as an “American dream” success story, but her writing here powerfully illustrates how all of the achievement in the world doesn‘t change the fact that American society normalizes, privileges, and empowers whiteness. Lots of important historical context included, and I enjoyed the bonus author conversation at the end of the audiobook, too.

So many sources said the ending of this was unforgettable (for better or for worse…) that I felt bookish peer-pressured to read it! And to continue reading it, because it didn‘t really grab me from the start and felt a little unoriginal…but that‘s probably because I had watched Inventing Anna not long ago. It did grow on me a bit. I hesitate to comment on the ending for spoilery reasons! Narrowly a pick for me. (Still very fond of the cover! 😎💙)

LOVED this. Comparisons to Jacqueline Woodson feel right to me - yes, in the portrayal of Black girlhood and addressing very hard realities, but also in the stunning writing. This has an incredible Chicago sense of place that makes me want to read more about the history of the Robert Taylor Homes. And after this plus some previous listens, Shayna Small is now on my list of most loved audiobook narrators - she‘s just excellent.

Really cool to experience interviews about gender in a visual format like this. Great diversity of perspectives, and I love the Midwest focus. Since the interviews mostly took place in the early to mid 2010s, it did have a slight historical feel to it, and I often found myself wondering what the subjects were thinking and feeling today. But overall a great discussion of how complex, personal, and dynamic the label of gender is.

I enjoyed this quite a bit on audio. Setting, characters, and a somewhat matter-of-fact writing style were highlights for me. Another was the way many important details/investigative discoveries were just sort of casually dropped into the narrative - kept me listening closely! (I feel like this is inadvertently becoming a Summer of Maine Books for me, and I‘m fine with that. 🤣)

My first Emma Straub! Not my last! (Won‘t be hard to continue since I have three of her books from Little Free Libraries/library book sales sitting [literally] pretty on my shelves.) I really enjoyed this and hope I still remember my many thoughts when its #CampLitsy moment arrives in late July! Hardcover pictured based on its beauty alone bc I 100% read on audio and couldn‘t tear myself away from Marin Ireland‘s great narration (though I tried!).

I don‘t love the word “lazy” and am not a follower of Adachi‘s work, nor have I read her previous book. That said, I liked this and appreciated its focus on identifying and working with your own kitchen priorities, preferences, and rhythms. Cute graphics and some useful tips and lists also make this very browsable/fun to flip through.

I‘d never read Chris Bohjalian‘s work, but because a) he‘s the #AuthorAMonth, b) he‘s lovely on Litsy, and c) I enjoyed Season 1 of The Flight Attendant series (haven‘t yet started Season 2), it was time to try one of his books. I liked it! Great characters, plentiful action (sometimes distressingly so! 😳), interesting historical contexts and social commentary, and quality writing. (A good escapist read, if you need one in this moment...😔)

Loved this! Had heard good things about it from so many corners of the bookish internet but had somehow forgotten that Thomas was the guy behind the Black History Month satirical piece that caused such a stir years ago! (Link to an interview that includes that backstory in comment below.) So that was a fun surprise as I listened. Loved how he wrote about race, identity, sexuality, Christianity, and more. (LOL-inducing on audio!)

This was a really moving read - light on actual text but not on depth or meaning. The art is memorable and I absolutely loved the use of color. I appreciated how the acknowledgments and notes at the end described the close bond between the two Jason creators (and jumped online after to learn a bit more about that). Too bad I forgot that Reynolds is July‘s #AuthorAMonth - oh well, guess I‘ll have to read more of him then - yay!

This one grew on me. I wasn‘t sure about the shifting perspectives and timelines and had plenty of those “I wish we spent more time with x situation/character” moments…but then often we did! So that was fun. What I loved most were the California settings and how having two of those (NorCal - Russian River area and SoCal - LA) added depth to the CA sense of place. I also loved the complexity of how the title of the book was woven into the story.

I like reading David Sedaris because he makes me uncomfortable - uncomfortable with his perspectives and judgments and choices that don‘t resonate with me, but also uncomfortable with the ones that do! 😝 I always appreciate his humor and LOLed while listening to this perhaps more than any of his recent collections, I think. Would like to purge the cover from my memory forever, but otherwise a great read!

I really enjoyed this! Charming setting and characters and a fun caper element, and I liked how it got at the complexities of singlehood, relationships (romantic, family, and friend), and identity. A traditional romance in some ways and not one in others, and that suited me just fine. I felt like the voice of the Linda Holmes I know and love from NPR really came through in this.
(Thanks to the #librofm #ALC program for early access!)

Anyone else loving this? The organization by state is really fun, and I like the mix of fiction and non, obvious choices and more obscure, etc. Will challenge myself to at least read the titles from each of the states in which I've lived (only 5 states, so doable!).
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/13/1098827190/what-to-read-summer-travel
#npr

This was incredible. I resisted reading past midway before yesterday‘s (wonderful!) #CampLitsy discussions, but then I could wait no longer to finish! “The Scope of Possibility” blew me away, and now I kind of want to go back and reread right away (in print - I did the audio and loved the cast of narrators). Has anyone found a map of the characters and their connections? I would love to pore over that. Looking forward to next weekend's discussion!

Lots to love in this book, in which psychologist and professor Cavanagh addresses tribalism and polarization, especially in social media spaces. I appreciated the elements of memoir and the bookishness (she references many novels and notes how fictional works of all types help us build empathy). Cool research connections, spot-on observations, good use of other expert voices, and a hopeful vibe. Definitely thought she could‘ve included more ⬇️⬇️

No complaints about this one, which I've been saving as a you‘ve-finished-your-grading-so-now-it‘s-time-for-summer-reading gift to myself. It was an entirely enjoyable escape. Lovable on audio. 💙

What a sad and hard week this has been. But also one with joyful moments for me as my students put their all into final assignments, shared what our course meant to them, some graduated, etc. Another bright spot was finding this at our nearest Little Free Library. Not sure why anyone would want to part with this (signed! 😮) lovely, but I look forward to paging through and revisiting my own (limited but special) Chez Panisse memories.

This book wastes no time in tackling tough stuff on the individual, family, and societal levels and never lets up. But it‘s also super readable because of the beautifully drawn characters. I loved their story and thought it flowed really nicely, even as I was sometimes stopped in my tracks by memorable lines like “She wore concern on her face like foundation.” (Also the most moving audiobook acknowledgments section I‘ve ever heard!)

Totally enjoyed this bookish whodunit/family story with an endearing main character. Loved the data privacy/surveillance angle (and also loved how my timing of this read coincided with this excellent Zeynep Tufekci piece covering the same: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/opinion/privacy-technology-data.html - so disturbing but also weirdly comforting that the burden of data privacy shouldn‘t be/can‘t feasibly be on each of us individually).

I feel like this one may not be for everyone. BUT, if you're interested in following an eclectic group of people getting to know each other better while thinking about what their progressive church means to them, with lots of food talk and levity and some plot sprinkled in, this indeed might be for you, as it was for me! I thought it was fun and thought-provoking and a bit suspenseful, even. My first Huneven but not my last!

I really loved this and will follow Lucy‘s journey of self-discovery wherever it goes. I‘m so glad that I just reread My Name Is Lucy Barton bc it made it so fun to revisit Lucy and her family! And I got a kick out of recognizing sentences in this that served as quick summaries of important character development stuff from the first book. Maybe I should indulge in rereading series books more often? (Now whether to reread Anything Is Possible…)

There‘s so much going on in this one, and I liked it all. The way Cooper Jones wrote about philosophy, identity, embodiment, and disability felt really fresh and taught me lots. The book is dense with insight but never feels weighed down by it, because she keeps things moving with vignettes from her life and little character studies of the people in it. Her writing is outstanding - hope to read some of her feature/travel/sports articles.

What a refreshing book about cleaning, self-care, etc., all understood as “care tasks.” Davis‘s philosophies are so in line with many other books/ways of thinking that I appreciate (Laziness Does Not Exist, Health at Every Size, anti-perfectionism, and much more). And the careful inclusion of diverse experiences is so great. How liberating to realize that our (in)ability to do care tasks in any season of our lives is “morally neutral.”

I believe this was my first Strout, and I remember thinking it was just okay. I‘ve read her lots since and love her now, so I‘ve wanted to reread this before reading Oh William! As suspected, I liked this a lot more the second time around. (And now I must check out the audio production of the play with Laura Linney!) An unintentionally well-timed reread bc of the complexity of mother/daughter relationships that comes up for many today.

This was so lovable and witty that it could almost be TOO sweet, if it wasn‘t just perfectly salty and bitter, too. Annie Hartnett has a special knack for that, I think. Thoroughly enjoyed the audio version and was really touched by these words from the author's note at the end: “This book is about rooting for everyone“ - ❤️!