“What keeps me afloat…is the knowledge that my death would let them win—not only my rapist, but the system that permits him to go on breathing freely while survivors like me gasp for air. I cannot abide the idea…I cannot die before they hear from me.” Let‘s go, Amanda!!! ❤️💪🏾✊🏾❤️

In movies, they never depict the logistics after the trauma. Action heroes fight, shit happens, and we jump into the next scene. We never see the bandages get changed, the car get repaired, or the laundry get done. But in real life, you don‘t get to skip ahead.

“I will break the cycle…I will trust the children. The child within me and the children I will one day nurture. I will trust in their resilience, their wisdom, their limitless imagination, and their innate capacity for love. I will guide them, but I will also learn from them and will allow their innocence and wonder heal the wounded parts of my soul. Together we will create a new story.”
I have no words. I am so proud of Shari.

“Sometimes family isn‘t just what you‘re born into. It‘s also what you build in the aftermath of loss.”

I thought that, since I‘d watched the documentaries and read the articles, this book wouldn‘t be able to shock me. I am about halfway through it right now. I. Am. Horrified. That woman was a mess long before Jody came into her world. Always cold. Always calculating. Always manipulative.
Those poor children. (And eff that husband, too. Coward).

“What do you think he should‘ve done?”
“For the one you love? Anything. You unmake the world and build a new one. You do anything to give them what they need.”
I would unmake the world and build a new one for this guy any time, any place. Period. (Hence my reading and drinking in a golf cart on Mother‘s Day weekend!🤣)

I pre-ordered this book because I love Juanita Tolliver. So far, it‘s everything I wanted it to be. A More Perfect Party is a perfect read for what I fear may be our last, official Black History Month. 😩🤦🏾‍♀️

This book is one of—if not THE—best books I have ever read. I am so moved. I have no words. No words except “thank you” to the brilliant Percival Everett for blessing me with this experience. My. God. I‘m still crying.

I‘ve heard of an underground railroad. I wanted it to be real, even if I could have no truck with it. Some people were finding a way north—that was what I, so many of us, needed to believe. It pained me to think that without a white person with me, without a white-looking face, I could not travel safely through the light of the world…Without someone white to claim me as property, there was no justification for my presence, perhaps for my existence

At that moment the power of reading made itself real clear to me. If I could see the words, then no one could control them or what I got from them. They couldn‘t even know if I was merely seeing them or reading them, sounding them out or comprehending them. It was a completely private affair and completely free and, therefore, completely subversive.

I don‘t know why I waited until now to start reading Abby Jimenez! 🤦🏾‍♀️ Better late than never, though!
My family and I had dinner on the lake this evening, and I couldn‘t help but to think about this book and the views the characters are taking in. I‘m a Chicagoan, born and bred, but I have to admit that Minnesota is GORGEOUS in the summer!

While this was a work of historical fiction, American Duchess has endeared Consuelo to me. I want to know more! I think my Fall Quest will be to read as much as I can about her. What a fascinating woman!

Because, sometimes, you just need something light and entertaining!

“I invite you now to step into the past, to that time of fear and dissension, and experience the passion, heroism, and heartbreak— even humor— as if you were living in that day, and did not know how the story would end. I suspect your sense of dread will be all the more pronounced in light of today‘s political discord, which, incredibly, has led some benighted Americans to whisper once again of secession and Civil War.”

This is yet another story of the media treating a woman poorly simply bc she existed in the public eye.
I was 16 when JFK, Jr., Carolyn and Lauren died. I didn‘t realize at the time how awful the media was to her. The stories they fabricated. The personae they tried to construct for her. I just remember (obviously) crushing on him, and deeply admiring Carolyn‘s style and grace. Thinking she was so gorgeous and that HE was lucky to have found her…

There are no words that can adequately describe just how powerful this book is. It‘s a love story about two ordinary people who did extraordinary things for the love of their country, their family, and each other. It has fueled my soul to continue to do what I can to help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to live and live well, and to help protect democracy in every way I can.
Simply amazing.

This book is absolutely devastating. And absolutely necessary. Chapter 52 should carry a huge trigger warning, though. My God. My. God. I‘m nauseous.
Listening to it was awful. It cannot compare to horror those who have had to suffer through these shootings have experienced, but…Jesus.

I don‘t know why I‘m doing this to myself. Maybe I see listening to this book a way to pay my respects. Maybe it‘s to try to make sense of this crazy world we live in—-of this even crazier country where we do nothing to stop these tragedies even though the solution is staring us right in the face. How many more? How. Many. More?!

“Something my mother told me once, when I was young, was that Hollydell was built from the pieces of a million different hearts. Everyone who visits leaves a piece behind, adding to the village‘s magic.”

‘Tis the season, people! ♥️🎄🎅🏿📚♥️

It‘s (finally) tiiiiiime ( *Mariah Carey voice*)!!
My God, how I adore Christmas and Christmas books, Hallmark movies, and all of the things! Let‘s. Gooooo!

“Parts of this book may burn my bridges for good. But, to tell the full story, there‘s no holding back. Not anymore. We‘re in the endgame.” 👀

IT IS HAPPENING!!! After over 20 years of adoring David Sedaris, I‘ll finally see him live tonight! Will he be funny? Yup. Will it be heartfelt? Yup. Will he be brilliant? Yup. Will I make an ass of myself by fangirling when he takes the stage..? I cannot promise that won‘t happen. 😬😅 OMG! Hurry up, 8:00!

“You can‘t f*ck with a woman who knows how to pray. Really pray.” 👏🏾🙌🏾💪🏾

This book is breaking my heart. Oh, Britney. 🥺

J Crew was such an aspirational brand for me when I was a little girl growing up on the Southside of Chicago. I used to get the catalogue, flip through every page, and imagine myself in all of the clothes. I‘d gaze into the store window whenever I walked down Michigan Avenue…. Now I‘m an adult and I almost always have on something from there. (I‘ve arrived! 😂) I‘m looking forward to diving into this one before bed tonight!

My thoughts so far:
- This is a really great book about some pretty sh*tty people. Some of this behavior is unreal!
- Sumner is gross and kind of pathetic
-Shari needs to put her big girl pants on and curb her father‘s foolishness or, better yet, wrestle control away from him. If his live-in hussies can make a play, why can‘t she?
- The Patriarchy needs to be smashed. And swiftly.

A yummy THC seltzer, and the exclusive scent from one of my favorite vacation spots—The Arizona Biltmore—have put me in the mood to finally finish this book. Emily Henry has done it again: she‘s pulled me back into her universe and I don‘t want to leave! I tried to control myself, but I can‘t any longer. I‘m finishing this baby tonight! #FabulousFriday

“No amount of vigilance has ever kept children like ours safe.”
Wow. This book is heavy-hitting right out of the gate. I‘ll never forget the conversations my husband and I have had to have with our son. When the sweet little boy who owns your heart looks up at you with tears in his eyes and asks “mommy, am I safe” and you can‘t in good conscious tell him he is, it kills a part of you and steals a piece of his childhood. Every. Single. Time.

This book was so authentic! A love letter to my city—a part of my city that I‘m not that familiar with, but that I somehow still recognize. Deeply. Even my high school has gotten a shoutout! Such a heartbreaking, beautiful, raw, triumphant story.

Over the years, she‘s watched cute little kids grow up to become fiends or drink themselves to death, dying in their forties. She‘s seen descendants of her friends ruin their family names, one generation at a time. For Mama Pearl, it wasn‘t just about the demolition of iron gates and bricks; what had already broken her heart was the destruction of so many families over the years.

There are no words for how deeply moved I was by this book. I honestly expected a fluff read but found that it spoke to me. Beautifully. I‘ll update this review later…I‘m honestly too shook to think straight but wanted to post *something*. Wow. Just wow. Excellent.

I saw @TracyReadsBooks post on this book and immediately decided to listen to a sample on Audible. I‘m. Sold! I‘m from the Southside of Chicago and—while I didn‘t grow up in a neighborhood like RTH—I recognize so much of my city! This feels authentic. This author *knows* Chicago. I‘m so excited to read (or maybe listen to…I haven‘t decided yet) it!

One great thing about The Kid‘s indoor baseball clinics is that they are too short for me to run errands (except for a quick Starbucks run), but just long enough to get into the book I‘ve been carrying around for over a week! A good book + good music + heated seats = me time! 🤓

I was listening to Chapter 19 (2020: Perfect Vision) while running out to grab dinner from our favorite Jamaican place. While I was parking, Quinta started talking about the moment she learned of George Floyd‘s murder. I listened for a couple of minutes and then, with tears in my eyes, got out of my car. I looked up and saw this mural. It‘s in South Minneapolis and is one of 4 monuments I saw today honoring Mr. Floyd and the revolution he sparked.

Finally found a little time to get back into this gem of a book. In chapter 7, Quinta writes so gorgeously about her favorite songs—specifically the incomparable Stevie Wonder‘s catalog—that I had to pause the audiobook and listen to Love‘s in Need of Love Today. Three times.

I pre-ordered and absolutely cannot wait for this book to be released! I adore Patrick and all of his projects. The minute my copy is delivered, I‘m pouring myself a nice glass of wine and diving in!!!! Eeek! #TrueCrimeObsessed #ObsessedNetwork

This book made me cry, laugh out loud, gasp, clench my fist in anger and frustration, and swoon. It has confirmed many things I long believed and showed me that things were even worse than I could‘ve ever imagined. This is the story of a man who took control of his life, who stood up for the love of his life and their children. Many others have tried to tell his story. Prince Harry has finally taken control of the narrative. Bravo! #IYKYK 👀😉

“…but no one gave a damn who I traveled with. The Spare could always be spared.” Oh, Harry…🥺

I preordered my hardcopy of this memoir months ago! I‘m sure it‘s waiting for me back home, but I couldn‘t wait a moment longer. Just boarded the plane and am listening to the Audible version. It‘s time Prince Harry had a chance to tell his story, and I‘m looking forward to his velvety voice keeping me company on my way home from paradise. #Spare #InHisOwnWords #TheTruthShallSetYouFree

Is there anything better than an iced coffee and a bookstore on a sunny day? I mean, aside from a hot coffee and a bookstore on a rainy day.

Finally packing for vacation! ☀️🕶️🏝️
I‘ve been saving this book for a long while. It‘s (almost) time! *Mariah Carey voice*

When someone waved a red flag you were supposed to stop, not wave back and keep on going because the map you‘d been following for ages told you to. Roads changed, bridges crumbled. Old maps needed to be replaced with new ones. Sometimes you had to find a new way to get to your destination.

Driven by the convictions that the Union was sacred and that slavery was wrong. Lincoln was instrumental in saving one and in destroying the other, expanding freedom and preserving an experiment in popular government that nearly came to an end on his watch. In him we can engage not only the possibilities and limitations of the presidency, but the possibilities and limitations of America itself.

I‘m looking forward to reading this and meeting the author at the next Twin Cities Civil War Roundtable meeting! It‘s gonna be a good one. These stories have to be told. Reading them will certainly break our hearts, but we have to learn about and remember this history so that we don‘t repeat it. Lessons from the past can be warnings….

“…in the UK, it‘s hard to get a rifle and next to impossible to secure a handgun. Yet somehow, against all odds, British people feel free. Is it that they don‘t know what they‘re missing? Or is the freedom they feel the freedom of not being shot to death in a classroom or shopping mall or movie theater?”

I ADORE David Sedaris! So happy this little gem is going to keep me company during the hurry-up-and-wait foolishness that goes with being a Track Mom!

Miss Pearly‘s daughters really need to get over themselves and get it together. Seriously! (Can you all tell I‘m invested? Ha!)

A complex drama about a family of strong, black women? Yes, please!

Family vacation time! The Biltmore is always so good to me. Great ambiance, killer cocktails, lovely people and multiple perfect reading environments.
I am loving this book. It is oh so perfect for this trip!

“…it‘s less about the places we go than the people we meet along the way. …most of all, it‘s about the ones who stay, who become home.”
I LOVED this book. Emily Henry does a great job of crafting characters and stories that take readers on delightful journeys. On the surface, the stories seem fluffy—Hallmark Movie-esque. But they are so much more than that. The characters are complex. The plot and resolutions make you think. I‘m officially a fan!