My dog Latte faithfully guarding the ghosts in this haunting Bluebeard retelling about domestic violence that stops you from asking the age-old question of, "Why didn't you leave?" It was a compelling if difficult read that was only palatable because it was told in fable form. It was beautifully written and hard to take.

The dedication reads, "for all of us who got out and for all of us who didn't."

#dogsoflitsy
#pitbullsoflitsy

Thanks for the tag, @Pruzy

1. Empathy and a sense of humor.

2. I haven't lived it yet.

3. The Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated"

#WondrousWednesday
@Eggs

Tag @AnnCrystal @quietjenn

#WDNCW
#WeDoNotCareWednesday
@dabbe

We do not care that we are a middle-aged woman running around in bike shorts. It is literally 100 degrees, and cellulite is not contagious.

We do not care that the older we get the more we fucking swear like we are starring in a Quentin Tarantino film.

I've loved Maggie Steifvater's YA books and the premise of a hotel commandeered by the U.S. government during WWII for the use of Axis diplomats waiting to be exchanged sounded fascinating, especially with a supernatural element. But it turned out to be set at a really slow pace, and most of the characters didn't become interesting until the end.

I read this for a book club, and I was just not in the mood for a bleak, ambiguous, stream-of-consciousness dystopian novel right now. I think I need something more cheerful, like Stephen King.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my second time reading this book, and it was just as amazing as the first! Who doesn't love menopausal women coming into magic powers and fighting crime? #goals

Impressively researched Chinese historical fiction that was fascinating and heartwrenching. In a society in which a woman's worth is measured by her ability to produce sons, Snow Flower and Lily use a secret women's writing called nu shu to communicate and develop a lifelong friendship. As they go through life's trials and tribulations, they are considered of little value to their families of origin, but they mean everything to each other.

This book fits the definition of irreverent humor perfectly. If you are capable of having a sense of humor about suicide, it might work. I loved Emily Austin's other two books and their characters, but this felt a bit too much for me.

1. I pre-ordered a signed copy of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil from @FountainBookstore . It was released today, so my copy should be on its way.

2. It could go either way. I pre-order the books I am most looking forward to.

@TheSpineView

This essay was written in 2000 by science fiction author Octavia Butler, who did predict our future in her dystopian novels, right down to the slogan. It was made into a book with beautiful illustrations. It is profound, and it would be cool if everyone read it. She encourages us to learn from history as well as be aware of now. I intend to read it multiple times so that I can absorb the message and get through today.
#realhistory @Librarybelle

Though this was a fictionalized autobiography of Hattie McDaniel's adult life after her Academy Award, I felt I learned a lot about her and the 1940s environment for Black actors. I felt like the author gave Hattie McDaniel her voice and her due dignity. The book was well thought out and interesting.

I am always captivated by the way SGJ writes. I get lost in the story, and my imagination pictures even more gore than is written. This is one of those short stories that comes with Amazon Prime, and they are fun to read.

Gilda is severely depressed and yet this book manages to be hilarious. She finds herself in outrageous situations so that she can get a job, and her inner thoughts on it are so relatable to me. The humor is deadpan and wry. There are loose ends, but the story and characterization are so good that it almost doesn't matter.

It's a novel about serial killers and true crime sleuths that had me questioning my own motives for reading and enjoying it. Well played, Ashley Winstead.

May was a better reading month than April was for me. 13 books, and I read a lot of good stuff.

I really liked the idea of this book, but I thought it had serious pacing issues.

I really enjoy discovering new worlds and aliens cultures. The Frenro and the Belzoar, in particular, were well drawn up. The human main character was complex. This is a morally ambiguous sci-fi novel that makes you think. Different species just do the best they can, and they all screw it up.

This book could have also been titled "Interesting Facts About Serial Killers," but it was excellent, and I gave it 5 stars because I loved the main character so much. The book is funny in a slightly dark way, and Enid is endearing and wonderful.

4.5 ⭐️s

An intense and unique thriller that I mistook for a comedy because of the title. There were some great twists that I did not see coming. I couldn't stop listening. You will probably appreciate it if you like true crime and/or are in AA.

This Canadian doctor is funny and thorough and not patronizing. I was a bit overwhelmed, but the information was useful. I now know what questions to ask my doctor. I would recommend it to anyone currently going through the menopause transition who feels like there's a lot of junk information to sort through.

For anyone else confused or mortified by this whole process, I feel your pain.

This short, cozy fantasy read like a children's story. I'm not sure it was best served by having been marketed for adults. It was a little too sunshine for me, but it had its funny moments.

This is Latte, my newly adopted pibble. She photo bombed my picture and made it perfect. #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy

This novel was a magical and transformative fairy tale. I loved the idea of waking up every morning and singing to willow trees. The bonus short story was also good. I'd like to call attention to the acknowledgments. I think the author had important things to say to tie it all together.

This book was lighthearted and cute. It was a nice, comical break from books with more serious topics. The seniors had interesting backgrounds and fully fleshed out lives. I like that there have been more books written with seniors as the protagonists lately.

4.5 ⭐️s. I loved the way this book ended! This was a very clever locked-room mystery. The civilian investigators were eccentric and well fleshed out. It felt very British and cozy to me despite the death parts.

#RealHistory @Librarybelle

George Floyd was murdered in fairly recent history, but this book is so well researched that it takes the reader all the way back to his family roots during times of slavery and sharecropping. I am so glad I read it. I came out of the experience with a better understanding of systemic racism and the conviction that we can never ever give up the fight for justice. George Floyd!

I thought this book was quite good and quite gross. It's a horror novel, but it also illustrates Asian hates crimes at the height of the pandemic. The book was definitely super dark, but it was unique, and I really liked it.

If only it were so easy to change prejudiced minds. The book is extremely optimistic, but books do encourage independent thought. It is cute and funny, even though the subject matter is serious. Unfortunately, I'm reading the newspaper and can not take this type of optimism seriously. That is my only frustration with the book.

April Wrap-up
It was a slow month. My dog Rose died, and I was too distraught to focus well. It sucked. I am very sad. I hope I can concentrate better in May. I did manage to read a few good books.

I love George Takei for his acting, his activism, and his humor. They Called Us Enemy is a graphic memoir about Takei's childhood spent incarcerated in an interment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. It was a heartbreaking story, but also one of family perseverance. We are repeating our mistakes again. We put innocent people in camps because of racism, and now we're doing it again. When is enough enough? #RealHistory @Librarybelle

I picked up some books at #ResistBooksellers in Petersburg, Virginia, with my book club yesterday. They are a Black owned indie bookstore that sells books by Black authors. I got some gems for #RealHistory.

@Librarybelle

This enchanting fantasy tale was a slow burn but a high pick. It was intriguing as it all unfolded, and I had a great time with it. All of the characters were amazing. Except for Laura. Laura was a narcissist. I don't think I was supposed to feel that way.

I'm reading this graphic nonfiction novel for my #RealHistory book for April by George Takei, who was in a U.S. internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II as a child.

@Librarybelle

The hibiscus just happens to be blooming, and it is a plant I managed not to kill yet, so I wanted to show it off. It has nothing to do with the book.

What if the moon suddenly turned to cheese? What are all of the plausible scenarios that would occur within the government, NASA, the church, etc.? How would that impact the average person? Complications and hilarity ensue, and it is a wonderful whimsy. 5 stars!

This is incredibly dark for a YA book, and it is really difficult to read a dystopian at this point in history, but Haymitch's story is well told. The book is not uplifting, but it is gripping. I appreciated the Poe quotes.

This novel spans the history of a family for three generations, jumping around from Y2K New York and ending with Chairman Mao in China. It gets a lot into DNA and the meaning of time. I liked it a lot, especially the part about Chinese history. I grew very attached to these characters. It was a compelling story.

This gothic fantasy had all sorts of creatures in it, from witches to vampires to ogres. It was a meaty adventure with some good twists. It felt like it could have been a longer novel. The ending was a little rushed. All in all, it was a solid 4 stars, and I'm interested in reading more by this author.

I had mixed feelings about parts of the plot, but I have a lot of respect for the topic. Overall, I'd give it four stars for making me think of the women who served in the Vietnam war.

If you have any issues with trauma, this hits hard. I thought it was well done and explored many topics faced by marginalized communities. It is not your average horror novel. It is very clever and does not back down from the uncomfortable. I read it in solidarity with Trans Week of Visibility + Action.

My Storygraph March stats. Feel free to friend me on Storygraph. I am Eggbeater there also. I only have like 4 friends. 😞

I felt a lot of sympathy for Mary when this story was told from a cook's perspective. If your job doesn't offer sick leave benefits, you tend to work no matter how sick, consequences to others be damned because they obviously don't care about you. There is a lesson there.

I came out of this reading experience feeling like I had a better understanding of history and race relations. The book was intense. I'm really glad I got to learn about Malcolm X in his own words. Laurence Fishburne does an excellent job narrating.

A dark academia fantasy/ horror novel about students with the gift of persuading others to their will. I thought it was clever and raised some good questions about free will and consent. It was a fun ride.

If you've ever been on a dating site, this book will help you learn what to avoid.

It is very humorous and delightfully obscene, yet it takes a very in-depth, compassionate look at the victims of romance fraud. One of the points made is that people tend to blame the victim. Part of the book is just snapshots of the author trolling scammers, but a lot of it is well researched information.

Adventures in female bonding! It isn't exactly realistic that this many women kill their husbands in the same neighborhood at the same time, but you have to suspend disbelief in order to appreciate this dark revenge comedy. The book manages to honor the gravity of the subject of domestic violence during Covid lockdown while adding some levity and imagination to the situation and still be respectful. Funny, not funny. The audio was great!

I loved this adventurous, mountain-climbing fantasy novel. I can't wait to read the second one. The vivid descriptions of the agonizing climb up the icy mountain made me feel like I was there. I was cold and exhausted. It was so well drawn. It was exciting and different. Read this book with a hot cup of tea.

The book was intriguing and addictive. There was a part I didn't completely buy into, but I still loved it. This is how rich New Englanders really behave. The family dynamics and character development were solid.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was billed as horror, and there were very graphic birthing scenes, but really, I thought it was also quite a touching tribute to women and motherhood. I was surprised it was written by a man. It seems like he did his homework. I thought it was beautiful.

I liked the symbolism and the outright bitchyness. It really was weird and my kind of book. It would have been five stars if not for my skepticism about the likelihood of the ending.

⚠️Warning animal death does occur. I know for me personally, I'm more sensitive to that than people's deaths.

I couldn't rate this book. It's well written, and the brain energy theory sounds plausible. I am skeptical of some of the solutions to mental illness, particularly the ketogenic diet. I can't speak to its efficacy until I've tried it. The book describes the theory in scientific terms involving mitochondria and the metabolic system. It's is fascinating, and parts are over my uneducated head. I will have to do my own research. I have a project now!

This was an okay read for me. I really liked Their Vicious Games, but I wasn't feeling this demonic horror as much. Devon, the main character, struck me as a bit immature. I think it was too campy for me. None of the characters resonated. It could have been the audio book. I did like the twist.