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ImperfectCJ

ImperfectCJ

Joined May 2019

Educator, reader, autodidact, dilettante. http://imperfecthappiness.org The Storygraph: imperfectcj, GR & IG: imperfecthappiness
review
ImperfectCJ
Yellowface | R F Kuang
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Pickpick

This exploration of entitlement, race, misogyny, jealousy, and the not-so-pleasant aspects of the publishing industry had me cringing throughout. The characters are complex and messy and predictable enough to be realistic. It got me thinking about all of the things that stand in the way of living with authenticity (or even being able to identify authenticity in ourselves or anyone else), which doesn't really leave me feeling optimistic.

SamAnne Can‘t wait to read this one! 3h
29 likes1 comment
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Demon Copperhead: A Novel | Barbara Kingsolver
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1) I actually read several good books this month, but the tagged is probably my favorite of the bunch.
2) I decided to give up on a book of essays by Wendell Berry, not because they aren't good, but just because I'm not in the mood for essay after essay.

#Two4Tuesday

Thanks for the tag, @TheSpineView and @The_Penniless_Author

TheSpineView Thanks for playing 14h
31 likes1 comment
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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I'm traveling a lot in June and then starting a new full-time position, so I'm not sure how much reading I'll get done, but this is my June #bookspin list.

I did add a reread of Bury Your Dead because we're going to be in Quebec City, and then several others that I hope will hold my attention on the plane (I usually have a lot of trouble reading on flights).

@TheAromaofBooks

UwannaPublishme Happy Travels and congrats on your position! ✈️ 2d
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1d
41 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Happy Litsyversary! | Special Events
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This is my elder child's graduation cake, but I like to think it's also a celebratory cake for my 4-year Litsyversary, which fell on the day of the graduation party. Hooray for 4 years on the only social media app I don't routinely fantasize about deleting! (And hooray for homeschooling my first child through high school!)

julesG Congratulations! 2d
Ruthiella Happy Litsyversary and congratulations to both you and your kid! 🥳 2d
RaeLovesToRead I deleted all the others except Litsy and Goodreads. This is my happy place 😌😁 Congrats!!! 💕🥳🥳 2d
See All 9 Comments
UwannaPublishme Yay! Congrats to both of you! 🎉 2d
OrangeMooseReads Congratulations to the child! Woohoo to you for both getting your child to graduation and for 4 years here! 2d
SamAnne Happy Litsyversary! 2d
MaureenMc 👏🎉👏 2d
mom2bugnbee Congrats to you AND your kiddo! Home schooling is not for the faint of heart! 2d
ravenlee Congratulations to all! As a homeschool mom heading into middle school years, I acknowledge your triumph and appreciate the good role model - it can be done! 2d
60 likes9 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
H is for Hawk | Helen Macdonald
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I thought of the tagged book so many times during our 2-hour falconry experience yesterday. This local place has special certifications that allow them to offer interactive presentations to the public in a safe and legal way. I still kind of want to get into falconry, which I imagine would be rewarding, humbling, and very messy, but maybe I can just get my next job with a falconer. (This is me with a Harris's hawk.)

Tamra Gorgeous! 4d
jlhammar Wow, so cool! I loved H is for Hawk and this one 4d
batsy I just finished reading it! And loved it, so much to think about. Must be amazing to see one up close. 4d
See All 7 Comments
ravenlee That‘s so cool! 4d
ImperfectCJ @jlhammar I love Sy Montgomery's writing, but I haven't read that one yet...I'll have to pick it up sooner rather than later! 4d
Hooked_on_books I did a falconry experience a few years ago. It was so cool! I‘ll never forget it. 4d
ElizaMarie Such an amazing animal! 4d
50 likes7 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

I took a graduate course on the Qur'an several years ago and have been intrigued ever since, so although I have a complicated relationship with memoir as a genre, I enjoyed Lamya H's reflection on the lives of the prophets as they relate to and inform her own life experience. I feel like this is as much a story of maturing into one's 30s as it is a story about coming out and religion, and a few juvenile elements make sense to me through this lens.

bnp This looks fascinating! 6d
ImperfectCJ One specific example that bugs me: how she thought she had to come out to her doctor because the only explanation for how she knows she's not pregnant is that she's gay, when a better explanation is that she'd not had sex with anyone with sperm. I'm pretty sure it's not sexuality that determines whether you are pregnant or not. This interaction felt a little melodramatic to me. 6d
ImperfectCJ Talking to my family, I realized that I'm reading early the books for #camplitsy23 that I predicted I might not like much (the Ellis because of the violence in his other work, the Sittenfeld because I'm not a romance person, this one because I'm funny about memoir). I like getting those out of the way first, like eating my vegetables. 6d
Megabooks Lol re: vegetables! I enjoyed this as well. A lot of the Quranic interpretations were really interesting and different than the ones I‘ve heard before (as well as Judaic and Christian interpretations of the same prophets). Much to discuss and glad to have you! 2d
Megabooks I think depending on the doctor they can make it awkward AF. I know she didn‘t live in the south, but for me as an ace person around here, I sometimes have to be uncomfortably deliberate in explaining to doctors how I can absolutely not be pregnant. I have no reason to lie at 43. I‘m not 14 standing there with mom. It‘s infuriating!!! 2d
49 likes5 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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1. To be honest, I forgot it was a holiday! Saturday is all-day orchestra concerts that my kids are playing in (last of my elder kid's senior year!), Sunday is graduation party for said elder kid, and we'll have family in town for all of it, so I assume we'll be doing something with all of them on Monday.

2. I'm way too wary of wishes to make any, so I'd probably pass.

@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! Have a great holiday 1w
35 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
Romantic Comedy | Curtis Sittenfeld
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Pickpick

Romance is not my genre, and I've had mixed experiences with Sittenfeld's novels, so it was a lovely surprise to find myself so immersed in this novel that I stayed up into the wee hours to finish it. I even loved the lockdown email exchange, and I usually loathe epistolary storytelling. It's emotionally real, the friendships are jealousy-inducing, and it's so sexy when the guy is like, "I'm sorry, I said something wrong. Please let me clarify."

BarbaraBB This sounds super intriguing! Looking forward to it! 1w
merelybookish I just finished today as well. I did not love it but happy to hear you did! 1w
ImperfectCJ @merelybookish I want to call it cheesy, but I feel like Sittenfeld anticipated that reaction during the writing of the novel. Maybe I'm just in the mood for cheese at the moment, especially after Bret Easton Ellis. :-) 1w
ImperfectCJ @BarbaraBB I'm curious what you'll think about it. I read it early in part because I was half-convinced I'd DNF it...I'm not sure how much my very low expectations affected my enjoyment of the novel! 1w
BarbaraBB I‘ll go in with low expectations too! 1w
64 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

I really like how Makkai unspools her stories, leading readers through the conflicting assumptions, fears, and motivations of characters trying to navigate their personal lives within the context of our culture. I enjoyed the exploration of the positives and negatives of coming of age as the last of the GenXers (*raises hand*) compared with the experiences of today's teens. She conveys well how imperfectly we decide who matters and who doesn't.

UwannaPublishme Cool bookmark! 2w
ImperfectCJ @UwannaPublishme Thank you! I got it as part of a swap, and I really like it! 2w
56 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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"Ninety-four was the last good year for pop culture."

Hear, hear!

Clare-Dragonfly Excuse you, I like Dave matthews, Oasis, and the Gin Blossoms… and I‘m a millennial 😂 2w
ImperfectCJ @Clare-Dragonfly Support for this character's claim! :-) (I did like the Gin Blossoms 1992 album, but once again...pre-1994!)(I could totally do without Dave and Oasis, though.) 2w
monalyisha @Clare-Dragonfly It‘s possible to have loved The Cranberries AND Bush AND to have found yourself writing poems in a composition notebook while listening to DMB, okay?! Let‘s stop all the arbitrary boundary-drawing! Sweet like candy to my soul…glycerine, glycerine. 2w
See All 7 Comments
ImperfectCJ @monalyisha Well, I think all of those things are possible and for it also to be true that the peak was 1994, and everything that came after (with a few exceptions, like Caroline Rose, Florence, Laura Marling) pales in comparison to that glorious period in music history. ;-) 2w
monalyisha @ImperfectCJ If there‘s anything we can agree upon, it‘s the tantalizing swoop of Gavin Rossdale‘s hair, amiright? (edited) 2w
monalyisha @ImperfectCJ Phew! Doing the good work over here…bridging generations. 😂😜 2w
42 likes7 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
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Well, heck! Another overlap with The Shards! It's one of my favorite things about reading books in close proximity to each other...I notice connections that I might not otherwise notice.

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ImperfectCJ
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Going directly from Ellis's The Shards with its LA prep school kids to this one is very interesting, at least so far (60 pages in).

review
ImperfectCJ
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Mehso-so

This is the first I've read from Ellis, although I saw the movie version of American Psycho, so I had an idea what to expect. It's definitely a page turner, but I don't feel like I quite connected with the over-privileged nihilistic prep school cast. It's certainly clever, just perhaps more self-consciously clever than I prefer. It feels like a (raunchy, gory, violent) commentary about wealth, responsibility, and emotional vacuousness.

Ruthiella I‘ve only read his debut but it sounds like it has a lot in common with 2w
ImperfectCJ @Ruthiella That's the impression I get, too, just based on this one and the reviews for/descriptions of Less Than Zero. He mentions that debut frequently in this novel, too (this is kind of autofiction, in which the narrator is Bret Easton Ellis, author, which is part of the self-conscious cleverness). 2w
49 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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I'm not super into tarot, but when I saw Brink Literacy Project's "The Literary Tarot" on Kickstarter a while back, and then realized that a friend of mine from school is one of the authors contributing to the pairings, I decided to back the project. It's taken a long time, but I finally received the finished product, and it's gorgeous!

Major and minor arcana are paired with literary works that reflect the essence of each card. ?

ImperfectCJ Minor arcana are renamed to follow the literary theme (Ink, Light, Quills, Parchment for Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles). Pairings with literary works are done by authors, including Madeline Miller, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Victor LaValle, Rebecca Roanhorse, Margaret Atwood, and my one-time classmate Maggie Downs. The artwork is beautiful and I love the gilded accents. 2w
thereadingreference Wow, beautiful!! I'm also not super into tarot but like to collect and I'm very jealous of this set 2w
RaeLovesToRead Oh my Gosh 😍😍😍😍 which tier is this? Does the basic set come with the gilded edges?? So beautiful 🥰 2w
ImperfectCJ @RaeLovesToRead I can't even remember what tier I got, it was so long ago. I know I got a special edition guide and a booster pack, but I thought the tarot cards themselves were the same at all levels? 2w
42 likes4 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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1. Currently reading two novels, one set in Los Angeles, the other set in Manhattan.

2. I'm not sure if I have a favorite setting, but I'm pretty tired of reading books set in NYC.

3. Nothing particular, just any setting that's vivid and easy for me to picture.

@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

Eggs Thanks for joining in 👍🏼 2w
32 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

This is an interesting look at the history of how humans have dealt with their dead and how our biases around race, culture, and status, as well as financial incentives, have shaped these practices. Most interesting to me is how the design of modern theme parks and subdivisions is influenced by cemetery design. It's lightly peppered with Dad Jokes and an excellent follow-up to This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust.

44 likes1 stack add
review
ImperfectCJ
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Mehso-so

The thing I like best about this novel is the way it plays with stories, the narratives we create (or accept from others) that shape how we see our lives and our role in other people's lives. However, the execution isn't as adept as it might have been. Words (like "eying") and similes are overused, the son doesn't seem real and his age doesn't align with his stages of development, and the MC is less sympathetic than I think she's supposed to be.

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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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Audible exclusives. The idea that there are audiobooks I can't get from the library feels so very, very wrong.

@ozma.of.oz #SundayFunday

TheBookHippie Oh I agree. 2w
Bookwormjillk Good one 2w
BethM Yea!!!!!! 2w
See All 6 Comments
JamieArc Completely agree! I don‘t get it! 2w
ozma.of.oz Oh yes! Absolutely! Every time I see something I want to listen to and it‘s Audible only frustrates me so much! Thanks for answering! 2w
Hooked_on_books Yes, this drives me crazy! It‘s completely obnoxious! 2w
42 likes6 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
A Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespeare
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I struggle with imposter syndrome a bit after coming to this teaching gig relatively late in life and via an unconventional path, but on nights like tonight when I came home from teaching a class on humor in Shakespeare during which we all laughed so hard my face is sore, I feel like I might not be too bad at this job after all.

Ruthiella You go girl! 👏👏👏 3w
TiredLibrarian Wish I could have sat in on this class! 3w
MaureenMc 👏👏👏 2w
dabbe @TiredLibrarian #ditto! 🤣🤩🤗 2w
60 likes4 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

I'm enjoying this series even though it's feeling a little like Three Pines with the high per capita murder rate, and this installment is a little closer to a damsel-in-distress plot than I prefer. It's interesting how quickly the mystery part of the plot unfolds as compared with the relatively slow pace at which the interpersonal relationships develop. Is the "small world," running-into-people thing common on islands IRL or just in fiction?

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ImperfectCJ
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I had to look up "baseball boots." I am quite familiar with Chuck Taylor high-tops, but I have never heard them referred to as "baseball boots." I've always thought of them as basketball shoes (that aren't really great for sportsing at all but are mostly just cool looking).

RaeLovesToRead That's what "high tops" are! 3w
thereadingreference Interesting! 3w
TrishB In my teens we always said baseball boots. Kids in U.K. just generally say my converse. Never heard them say high tops. 3w
ImperfectCJ @TrishB We said "cons" or "chucks" or "all-stars" and would say high tops or low tops to differentiate between the styles (I no longer have the black high-top chucks I had in college, but I do have a pair of red low-tops I wear on occasion. They're way more uncomfortable than they were when I was 20). 3w
40 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
Demon Copperhead: A Novel | Barbara Kingsolver
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Pickpick

With family from all over Appalachia (northwestern SC, western NC, eastern TN, southwest VA, up to West Virginia and into Ohio), some branches that have been there since the late 1600s, I found Kingsolver's portrayal of the culture there fair and brutally honest. It's an awkward thing to consider that part of my heritage, the forces that propel some people away and keep others stuck fast, the juxtaposition of severe poverty and steadfast loyalty.

ImperfectCJ The beauty that draws me to the mountains and the...I don't know what---despair? that pushes me away. I feel it all over that part of the US, and I sense that Kingsolver knows that feeling, too. 3w
ImperfectCJ And how fun to be reading this while Kingsolver is awarded the Pulitzer for it! 3w
Christine Oh, I hadn't heard about the Pulitzer win yet! Richly deserved. 3w
60 likes3 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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1. I don't seem to have much time for TV the past few years, but I have gotten more into watching football, which is sort of like a series.

2. Road trip anywhere! I also like flying somewhere, taking a road trip, and flying home. I prefer going new-to-me places because I like to explore.

3. Euchre or Catan if there are enough other people around, Spelling Bee or Pyramid Solitaire if I'm on my own.

@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

AmyG Hooray football. That is always my fall “series”. 3w
ImperfectCJ @AmyG I have to admit to being conflicted, though, especially watching college ball and thinking of the traumatic brain injuries and the exploitation of such young people. But I used to enjoy watching boxing, so I guess this is a step in the enlightened direction. 3w
Eggs Thanks for playing - I love your game choices. I followed HS football for the last 4 years bc: grandson 🏈 3w
34 likes3 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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1. Yes! My elder child's graduation trip through New England and Quebec (J'étudie le français pour mes vacances! I'm super ready (to start conversations in French and then have people switch to English)).

2. Not really, but I did love Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer. And any season is a good season for spooky reads.

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Sounds like a grand time! Thanks for playing 3w
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Have fun!! ❤️ 3w
32 likes2 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

This veers a little into "farce" territory at points, but overall I find it to be a clever, hilarious, and insightful look into relationships between women. May we all be bonobos to one another.

rockpools Hear hear! 3w
Soubhiville Yes! 3w
BarbaraBB Looking forward to reading and discussing it! 3w
ImperfectCJ @BarbaraBB Definitely looking forward to the discussion! I had several things I thought about saying in the review that I opted to save for #camplitsy23 ! 3w
BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ You‘re the best! 3w
61 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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Usually I take a new hardcover or two (purchased or library borrow), my Kobo all loaded with library loans, and audiobooks on Libby or Libro on my phone (plus noise-cancelling headphones).

But for my trip next month I'm thinking of under-booking myself so I have an excuse (and space in my luggage) to buy from local bookstores.

Which reminds me: Anyone have recommendations for must-visit bookshops in Quebec City?

#SundayFunday @ozma.of.oz

ImperfectCJ Oh, and when possible I try to take books that relate to where I'm visiting, like Desert Solitaire when I visited Utah in 2017. I'm thinking the newest Louise Penny for Quebec, and maybe a Stephen King for Maine, but I wouldn't mind going a little less obvious. 3w
Susanita I like to do that too! The Strong Sense of Place podcast is going to Maine for their next episode, so they‘ll probably have some good ideas. 3w
ImperfectCJ @Susanita Ooh! Thank you for the recommendation! I'll put it in my ears! 3w
Cupcake12 Beach reads…cosy, funny and easy to read x 3w
ozma.of.oz Yes! I have adored searching out local bookstores and buying from them every time I go on vacation! It‘s always a highlight of my trips. Thank you for sharing! (edited) 3w
36 likes5 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
If I Survive You | Jonathan Escoffery
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this collection of interwoven short stories about a family that relocates from Jamaica to Miami. The author's use of second-person perspective in some of the stories is effective and unobtrusive (many times I read second person and can't stop remembering that's what I'm reading, but here I was able just to enjoy the stories). These stories do not make me want to visit Miami, but then, I've never wanted to visit Miami anyway.

Hooked_on_books Second person is so tricky! And I agree, he does it well. I really liked this collection. 4w
51 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
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Mehso-so

I might be too old to enjoy this novel. It's not bad, just kind of sophomoric, by which I mean the narrator (and maybe the author?) feels wise and worldly to herself, but to an old lady like me, she just seems so...young. She's got such conflicted ideas of what it means to be a grown-up, and I get that this is the point, but I'm not sure it's all that interesting to me. Maybe if I had a "home town" or an affinity for New York I could connect more.

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ImperfectCJ
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I'm using a very minor procedure on my shoulder blade this morning as an excuse for a mini readathon this afternoon! My plan is to finish the tagged then start on The Bandit Queens, which I only have for one more day on a skip-the-line Libby loan. The other two are for if I need a break. Hopefully I can find a comfortable reading position that doesn't stretch anything that shouldn't be stretched or compress anything that shouldn't be compressed.🤞

ravenlee I wish you an easy recovery and a comfortable reading position! 4w
ImperfectCJ @ravenlee Thank you! I was going to teach this afternoon, but the medical staff convinced me to get a sub, which I think was a good idea. Not too uncomfortable at this point, but I'm not sure if I could teach basic geometry well without gesturing with my left arm. Well, and I can't shower for 24 hours, which isn't optimal for anyone. 4w
58 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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1) A coworker once described me as "the most relentlessly intelligent person he'd ever met."
2) The ability to make lattice pie crusts with gluten-free dough.
3) Beets and beautiful greens from Monday's CSA share (sideways to fit).

@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

IndoorDame Lol. Yes! I‘ve taken to buying pie crusts since I gave up gluten 4w
Eggs I do love beets!! 4w
37 likes2 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

This is a cute middle-grade mystery imagining the mischief Ada Byron Lovelace and Mary Godwin Shelley could have gotten into had they been contemporaries. With a supporting cast that includes Charles Dickens and Percy Shelley, this novel is an homage of sorts to the greatest creative minds of 19th-century England. A little silly and a little too modern in thinking for the time period, this is still a fun intro to the genre for young readers.

ImperfectCJ This is my #bookspin for April 1mo
47 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
Five Little Pigs | Agatha Christie
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Pickpick

I'm enjoying reading Christie's books in order in part because I can imagine her getting older and seeing the patterns and personalities and emotions of different ages from the perspective of age. She's always focused on character and motivation, but I find this book especially focused in that direction and in an interesting way. There may be one twist too many for my taste, but I like particularly her portrayal of the compromises of marriage.

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ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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On to May! #bookspinbingo

The Iliad is my #bookspin and The Shards is my #doublespin

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 1mo
38 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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April #bookspinbingo. Alas, no bingo this month! And I haven't finished my #bookspin or #doublespin yet. 🤷 If I weren't spending so much time studying French for our trip to Quebec (probably unnecessarily both because people will likely speak English and because I have so much trouble understanding the metropolitan French accent that it's unlikely I'll do any better with the Quebecois accent), I might have done better.

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Still a great month!! And studying a foreign language is never a waste - if nothing else, it's fabulous brain exercise 😂 1mo
35 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

O'Farrell's portrayal of Lucrezia is enjoyable and her isolation palpable, and Alfonso is realistically terrifying, but this novel didn't strike me like Hamnet did. The timeline is a little confusing in places, possibly because I was listening to the audiobook and couldn't turn back when I got disoriented, or maybe just because the flashbacks were so close together in time with the present moment.

Gissy I know this one is in the Women‘s Prize Short Lust but I will read it next July for #AuthorAMonth Hamnet was one of my favorite last year❤️ 1mo
54 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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Lots going on today (including a trip to the rose garden, where the roses were putting on quite a show), but I managed to sneak in some audiobook time with the tagged book. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Good tension, but as with Hamnet, knowing the ending is making the whole endeavor kind of depressing.

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ImperfectCJ
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Got my copy from the local indie today, @jen_the_scribe ! I'm encouraged by the fact that it has what looks like 14pt font...turning more pages per tiny chunk of reading time might help me feel more like I'm making progress.

jen_the_scribe Yay! So glad you got it! 1mo
JamieArc I was eyeing this one today - I‘ll look forward to what you think. 1mo
48 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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May #bookspin list! It's a highly aspirational list for a month that we plan to fill with graduation events and family visits and birthday celebrations. 🎓🎂

As always, thank you for hosting @TheAromaofBooks !

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Sounds like a month full of making happy memories!! 1mo
43 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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This morning has been all about reading-adjacent activities, like listening to Anne Bogel explode my TBR on "What Should I Read Next?" while watching the antics of our backyard wildlife on our garden cam. This lizard did pushups in front of the camera, and later a bird hopped over a lizard (same lizard? I'm not sure). So, basically it's been a really exciting morning.

Tamra Action packed! 1mo
Aimeesue Clearly someone put the word out that you were holding auditions for This Animal‘s Got Talent (TM.) Tomorrow it‘ll be the musical acts showing up. 1mo
ImperfectCJ @Aimeesue I can't wait! I think I've been hearing them rehearse around dawn the past few mornings. 1mo
44 likes3 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
Factory Girls | Michelle Gallen
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Pickpick

Although it's set in 1990s Northern Ireland, this novel has the feel of YA dystopian fiction. Dystopian fiction works because it's at least somewhat believable/based on reality, but a story that feels like dystopian fiction but is set in the real world is unsettling to me. My teen history buff son has recently been talking about the ills of colonialism and what the world would look like without it. This novel fits well with that conversation.

ImperfectCJ I switched to the audio partway through because I am better at hearing dialect than reading it. 1mo
46 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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I started the Caroline Alexander translation of The Iliad on audio, but I think I'm going to need to read the print version to retain any of it. I focused well during the introduction (super interesting!) but kept spacing out during the actual story. Which is unfortunate because I have much more time to put books in my ears than to put them in front of my eyes.

A rose from our garden. Our landlord has a landscaper, so I enjoy them but do no work.

dabbe Beautiful flower! 💐 1mo
48 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

I finished listening to this audiobook while sealing and stamping graduation announcements. Mary Louise Kelly and I don't have a whole lot in common (same generation, elder children a year apart in age, and that's pretty much it), and I admit to glazing over during some of the world news bits, but as Kelly writes about the milestones of middle age---empty nest, aging parents, career shifts, marriage challenges---her words resonate so much for me.

ImperfectCJ I generally avoid anything that's compared in blurbs with Glennon Doyle's writing, but I'm glad I made an exception for this one. I don't know if it will feel significant to others not in a similar life stage, but it was a comfort to me to read. 1mo
ImperfectCJ And I really need to vary my sentence construction a little more. Reading over this review, I realize I'm very tied to the "statement, but..." format. Something to work on. 1mo
55 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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Started this one before work but luckily also before putting on makeup. I hope I don't cry through the whole thing, but as the parent of a high school senior, this is the perfect time for me to read this, which is also the worst time for me to read it, if I don't want to walk around with mascara lines down my face.

BrittanyReads Mom of a kindergartner here and even that cover alone is pulling at my heart strings 😭 I hope you enjoy the book and all those precious moments, too 🙂 1mo
Suet624 I have 4 children. The first two leaving for college were tough on me, despite the fact that each time I still had children at home and a super busy work schedule. Two years before my twins (the final two children) left for college I started working with a therapist to help me deal with it. We had traveled for years together to soccer tournaments and they were my buddies. Despite the preparation it still wasn‘t easy to see them go. 💔 1mo
Tamra I heard an interview with her on NPR and it was great. There are times when I think I can‘t wait for them to be independent adults and then most of the time I think none of us are prepared! 😩 I hear most of the time kids start that separation long before so it isn‘t so abrupt. But still….I hope mine go to college nearby and live at home. (I say that now.) 😉 1mo
rretzler My younger son is also a HS senior this year. The first son leaving was rough, but I still had one at home - I don't know how I will get through this one. Haven't read this book, but seeing the soccer shoes and @Suet624's comment - my husband spent many wonderful hours with both sons traveling to soccer tournaments, until both of them “retired“ in their respective 10th grade years. That was difficult because we didn't talk nearly as much. 1mo
Chelsea.Poole I‘ve just started this as well and I‘m having a rough time. Also hits close to home with those soccer cleats 😢 my boy just turned 8, so hopefully we have many more tournaments to go. 1mo
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review
ImperfectCJ
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Pickpick

Although this novel could have been more skillfully constructed (there's a "first this happened, then this" feeling sometimes rather than an organic unfolding, and sometimes the passage of time feels off), I enjoy how it explores family, both the one we're born into and the one we create, collective and personal wisdom, the ways in which a community is interwoven, for better or worse, and the challenge of being drawn to that which will hurt us.

ImperfectCJ And I LOVE the crows. 1mo
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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Me when I got up this morning: "My goals for today are to work out, make kale salad, and prep for the rest of this week's teaching."

Me halfway through my coffee: "My goals for today can wait until I catch up on my reviews and update my First Line Journal."

And yes, that's two e-readers, and also yes, the Kindle is upside-down.

KadaGul @ImperfectCJ You are like me and my friends. Goals 📝we make when we wake up are changed/differ after morning 🌅 cup of coffee ☕ 1mo
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

The Millennials I know are really into this book, so I finally picked it up. I read the first third carefully then skimmed the rest. I like the number of citations and stories Clear uses, and although the information isn't new if you've read books or listened to podcasts about habits, he organizes it in an accessible and logical way. So, if this is your first habits book, I recommend it. But if you're not a novice, you can probably skip it.

5feet.of.fury I like this one, I enjoy that the advice can be applied to multiple aspects of life. 1mo
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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My nominations for #camplitsy2023. With so many awesome titles already showing up among the nomination posts, I had to make sure I posted mine before I added a billion more to my list!
@Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB

squirrelbrain Ooh, some great choices here. And there‘s no escaping the ever-expanding TBR list…you can run but you can‘t hide! 🤣 1mo
Megabooks I definitely wish I had picked up this when @AardvarkBookClub chose it! Great nominations! 1mo
ImperfectCJ @Megabooks It's the only one of the six I've already read...I really liked it, and would love to see it at camp! 1mo
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ImperfectCJ And a comment to use the proper tag: #camplitsy23 Ever since being head of our department's Y2K team, I have been nervous about using two-digit years, even though I'm pretty sure we're safe again for a while yet. 😉 1mo
BarbaraBB Haha, we‘re safe for a while! Thanks for sharing those great suggestions!! (edited) 1mo
Chelsea.Poole Great list! 1mo
Cinfhen I‘m just amazed how many books were not on my #ReadersRadar 😅amazing 1mo
Ruthiella The Salt Grows Heavy looks WILD! I‘m definitely interested in the Makkai and Bandit Queens. But like with any longlist, I love the discovery ! 1mo
TheKidUpstairs My TBR can't handle all these great lists 😂 1mo
Leniverse I must have The Salt Grows Heavy! The UK cover is all teeth and horror though 😱 1mo
ImperfectCJ @Leniverse I just looked up the UK cover... that's a lot of teeth! 1mo
Leniverse Right? 🤣 I prefer your cover. But at least the toothy cover gives fair warning! 1mo
ImperfectCJ @Leniverse Agreed! I expect something very different from the toothy cover! 1mo
Larkken Ooo fun list lots of variety 1mo
52 likes14 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

Is Kevin Wilson becoming one of my favorite authors? Well, let's see...I read one of his novels three times, once aloud to my kids. Both his novels and his short stories make me laugh in the sad way I enjoy, like things are bad and likely to get worse, but there's this little thing, at least. So I suspect the answer is yes. These early stories of his feel a little different than his later writing, but still carry his hallmarks.

robinb I‘ve never read him but am putting him on my radar now. 😊 Do you have a favorite of his? 1mo
ImperfectCJ @robinb The one I read three times is Nothing to See Here. I really like his short stories, too (especially Baby, You're Gonna Be Mine), but that's my favorite of his novels. The audiobook narration is also excellent for that one. It's read by Marin Ireland, who plays Sissy in Umbrella Academy season 2. 1mo
robinb Actually NTSH is the one I was eyeing! I may start with that one. Thanks. 1mo
ImperfectCJ @robinb I look forward to hearing what you think of it! My whole family loves it so much (although my teens might just like the swearing and the fact that when I read it aloud to them, I used my best Tennessee-ish accent). 1mo
robinb 👍😆 1mo
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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1. Yes, my mom helped my friends plan a surprise going-away sleepover party before we moved the summer after 8th grade. She drove me to my friend's house and handed me a TV Guide she said I needed to take to the door to drop off to my friend's mom. 33 years later, I'm still a little embarrassed that I was so gullible.
2. Sure, I enjoy the unexpected in fiction if it makes sense overall.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

ImperfectCJ Oh, and the surprise party was on the second day of my very first period, which was awkward to manage at a sleepover. But feeling that important to my friends made up for all of the negatives. 1mo
TheSpineView Thanks for playing and have a great day! 1mo
27 likes2 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
Galatea 2.2: A Novel | Richard Powers
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Mehso-so

This feels very man-written, specifically it feels written by a man of a certain generation grappling with a mid-life crisis. Powers is a fair bit younger than the writers I usually associate with this style (Updike, Mailer), but he pulls it off well, by which I mean his narrator is so absorbed with his own worldview and unexamined emotions, he can't parse the reality others are living. He goes about cluelessly but with feigned confidence.

ImperfectCJ I loved The Overstory, but after this one, I don't anticipate seeking out more of Powers's backlist. 1mo
Larkken Ugh. I‘ve heard so much love for Bewilderment, but I‘m tired of reading what you describe from man authors so maybe I‘ll keep putting it further down the stack. 1mo
ImperfectCJ @Larkken I will say, I didn't get this feeling from The Overstory, which was the one just before Bewilderment, so maybe it's something he grew out of. I think I'll probably try Bewilderment, but I don't think I will go out of my way to read his earlier novels. 1mo
49 likes3 comments