I was listening to the “All the Books” podcast yesterday and when @Liberty described this book I thought, “MINE!” I started it last night and I like it so far. This will probably be my last book for fun before classes start on Monday. Fear not, I‘m taking two literature seminars so I‘ll be reading fun stuff for school.
Littens!!!!! It‘s been so long! Last year was busy and stressful between mental health issues and grad school. I actually read 52 books last year (1 reread). I discovered Gloria Anzaldua, Andrea Gibson, and a ton of great books for class and for fun. I‘ve missed everyone and hope your 2019 is full of love, joy, and a ton of books!!
I‘m taking a class this fall on posthuman futures and this is one of the books we will be reading. Our professor gave a gentle hint to get started on our reading. This book is magic. 💕🌳🌲
pickPut this at the top of your reading list!!! I loved it and couldn‘t put it down. I hope this is the first of many novels from Tommy Orange. **ETA** The city of Oakland is pretty much another character within the novel. Seriously, I loved this book! I couldn‘t wait to read it and it is so beautifully written!
This might be one of the very rare times I will take the adaptation over the book. The TV series was great and I feel like the book and show are different enough that you get something different from each. What is really annoying me is how many references to Lady Silence‘s breasts there are in the book. 😡😡 I loved her in the series. I‘m 300+ pages into the novel and I‘m hoping the author does a little more with her character.
😍 The one and only David Lynch! I can‘t wait to read this memoir. He is by far my favorite director. I‘ve been a fan since I was 18 and watched Twin Peaks. I love how he shows the ugly sides of beauty. And he‘s wonderfully weird. Episode 8 of Twin Peaks: The Return was amazing!! I rarely fan girl over anyone but David Lynch? 🤩
pickThis will break your heart. It‘s about friendship, family, and what happens when a kid falls through the cracks and most of the adults don‘t notice. You will love Claudia who has to find her own way when her best friend Monday is no longer a daily presence in her life. The relationship Claudia has with her family is beautiful. Jackson also touched on community and the effects of gentrification.
Mehhhhhhhhh. So far I‘m on the fence about this one. I‘d love to hear your thoughts about The Book of Essie. Here is Queenie looking glamorous!
pickI recently saw a recommendation online for this lovely picture book. There are no words to accompany the lovely illustrations but I think that makes this story more meaningful. A little girl on her walk really sees the world around her while her father is unaware of the everyday beauty that surrounds him. This book is a great reminder to be in the moment!
“Quick! Hide her wallet so she can‘t buy anymore books!! That‘s money she needs to spend on us!”
pickI loved this book! Treat yourself and someone you love. It‘s a great little book that has women I love and respect in it and it has also introduced me to other amazing feminists.
pickKate Bowler writes honestly about living with an incurable form of cancer. She lives from as she says “scan to scan” and tries to savor every minute she has with her family. Bowler discusses living in this in between space of not knowing how much time she has. This book isn‘t a downer. I love that she includes a section on what to say and what NOT to say to those going through a rough time.
Whenever we go to our local Books and Company, I always turn their display copy to this page! 😂🦁
Littens!!! I‘ve missed all of you. I didn‘t plan on taking a hiatus from Litsy but grad school is eating up a large chunk of my time. I‘m not taking summer classes so let the reading for fun commence!! I can‘t put Still Lives down. Pictured here is our latest addition to the cat family, Queenie. Why yes, that‘s Queenie as in Fantastic Beasts Queenie. 👑🦁
pickWe had to read this for class tonight. There‘s so much to unpack in this book. I‘m going to have to re-read it, slowly. I love her poetry, some of it made me want to cry, especially the poems about migrant workers. She gives me so much to think about in regards to inclusivity and how we can resist others‘ need to label us. Read this! I wish I could say more but I have a lot to think about. I‘m so glad I‘m taking this class.
so-soI feel rather iffy about this book. I liked the writing but something bothers me about it and I wonder if I‘m the only one who feels this way? It almost felt like it was a cautionary tale for mothers who want a career. “Want a career AND have kids? Well your nanny will be evil and kill your kids if you do.” If you read the book I‘d be curious to hear your thoughts.
pickWhen I picked this as one of my BOTM selections I really expected that I‘d end up bailing on it halfway through because it sounds a little too much like Rear Window. The main character is agoraphobic and likes to spy on her neighbors. Sometimes books that are poised to be the “it book of the year” just aren‘t for me. Well, I was wrong! As I read the book I wondered what is real and what is imagined? What a ride! It was a fun read.
This is going to be an amazing seminar this semester! I‘m taking a class that focuses solely on the work of Gloria Anzaldúa. We have some reading to do before our first class on Thursday and I‘m in love with her writing.
pickThis was my last book of 2017. I loved it. Sherman Alexie is honest and raw in his grief. He writes about his life as a kid on the Spokane reservation, some stories of his youth can be found in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This memoir isn‘t just about Sherman but about the loss of his mother and the complicated grief he feels. Lillian Alexie could be difficult and the relationship between mother and son was hard at times. 👇🏻
pickI‘ve seen all of the movies but now that I‘m finally reading the books I feel like I‘m on a new adventure. Peeves is a riot! My stepdaughter has been with us for her winter break and she loves the series. It‘s been a lot of fun reading this and talking to her about the book. Cheers to J.K Rowling for inspiring so many children to fall in love with books! 💕 I might be able to read the 2nd book before classes start next week.
pickOh wow! This is my first book of 2018! I loved it. I cried and wanted to jump in the pages and hug Eleanor. It was such a beautiful story of learning to love oneself, to heal from trauma, and learn how to reach out to others and accept help. Eleanor is eccentric and I love how she speaks. She can be maddening at first but I grew to love her. Is Eleanor fine? Oh yes and I loved watching her grow. This book makes me want to be a better person.
Happy New Year Littens! I hope that all of you have a good 2018! My hope is that this new year sees more acts of love and kindness. My step-daughter loves all things Harry Potter so I‘m reading the first book. Not a bad way to read in the new year. I have no reading goals set for 2018 due to grad school. I‘m enjoying my break and I‘ve read a lot over the past two weeks. Hopefully I can cram a few books in before the semester starts next week. 🎉
so-soI finished this last night. Mehhhh. It started slow for me and then it picked up the pace. Gemma really started to bug me. It‘s a fun page turner but I didn‘t love it. When it got near the end I felt very “Are we there yet?”
pickI love this book! I‘m reading Sherman Alexie‘s memoir and I‘ve had this book for ages and finally read it. I‘m so glad I did. It‘s often hilarious with a little sadness thrown in. Junior is funny and lays his teenage angst out for us along with some funny cartoons. This is also a book about figuring out where you belong and wanting more for yourself while worrying about the people around you. I love how Alexie portrays male friendships. 💕💕
pickI don‘t know what to say about this book. It‘s like nothing I‘ve ever read before. A majority of the novel isn‘t told in a linear timeline and that worked for me. Tayo returns to New Mexico after a stay in a veteran‘s hospital to deal with PTSD after WWII. He seeks the help of a medicine man when conventional medicine can‘t heal his anguish. The novel is like a poem, a love letter to nature, a way to make it through pain. Read it.
Lots of love to my Littens. It was a very bookish Christmas for all of us. I got several great books from my husband, the kid got a lot of Harry Potter loot to include the beautiful illustrated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and my husband got a few books he asked for. It has been a quiet day surrounded by the ones I love. I hope you had lots of bookish treats today. 💕💕 Thanks for being a great community.
My step-daughter is here from CA and it‘s her first white Christmas! It snowed this evening. It just doesn‘t get any better than this! Wherever you are this evening I hope you are warm, cozy, and reading a good book. #ChristmasEve
@HotMessJess Here is Spock thinking everything is for him and scoping out his treats (hopefully he‘ll share with the other two). I love the notepad, I‘m an obsessive list maker. You started my day off on a happy note! Thanks again! 💕💕🎄🎅🏻
Wheeeee! Thank you for everything @HotMessJess !! I love all of it. The mug is perfect, the candle smells great, soft socks, and books I‘ve been wanting to read forever! Thanks for the cocoa 💵. We‘ve noticed the cats sniffing the box and my husband wondered if there were treats for the cats in there. Thank you and Bert, Spock, and Molly thank you too. In fact, I had a hard time getting a photo without Spock! You can see him lurking. 💕 *big hugs*
I survived my first semester of grad school! I want to read as much as I can before the semester starts on the 8th! I started Ceremony a few days ago. It seems like a book that needs to be read slowly because the writing is beautiful. First thing tomorrow I‘ll be opening my Secret Santa package!! I‘ve been staring at my box thinking, “Soon my friend!”🎅🏻🎁
I‘m so glad I picked Chalk Man for my BOTM pick. It‘s deliciously creepy. This photo of Bert under our tree is not creepy but you might want something cute around when reading this book. I like that it jumps back and forth between 1986 and 2016. The main character is far from perfect, there‘s a disturbing murder that took place 30 years earlier and someone is stirring up the past in the present. It‘s just the right book to kick of winter break!
Pardon my chicken scratch! I am behind the power curve but I am sending this via UPS so it gets there on time. I had so much fun shopping and putting this together for my Litten! #secretsantagoespostal #wintersolsticebookexchange @MrBook @BookBabe @Avanders
pickI just finished this book and I found it unsettling, like The Handmaid‘s Tale, but I liked it. I held off on seeing what other Littens thought about until this morning. I know some are not in love with this novel but I liked it. I found the optimism that Cedar clings to a good thing in her nightmare world. I do wish there was more explanation about the reverse in evolution. This was my first Erdrich and I liked it. But man, that ending! 😭😩
pickI have a huge project due this week and I‘ve been so bad about procrastination. I‘ve been procrastinating by reading for fun. I loved this book. It was fun, a fast read, and very sweet. It‘s what I needed to give my brain a break. I loved both Rishi and Dimple for knowing who they were and what they wanted in life. I was not that self aware at 18! 💕
Happy Thanksgiving Littens! A relaxing day with good food. I hope all of you are enjoying time with those you love today. I wish all of you who are out of town visiting friends and family a safe journey when it‘s time to head home. Unfortunately this photo got cut off but I took it earlier today when all three cats were sunning themselves. Yes, that‘s a Halloween blanket. 🦃🎃
pickNo photo to accompany this review. I‘m usually not interested in legal or political thrillers but I couldn‘t put this book down! Political intrigue, courtroom drama, and a murder mystery surround the Pleasantville neighborhood in Houston. I wondered why she set the novel in 1996 but then I understood what she was doing. Read it!!
Help!! I have a paper that I should be working on but I can‘t put Pleasantville down! I got it as part of this month‘s Book of the Month Club. Most of this month‘s titles didn‘t grab me so I went back a few months and this jumped out. I‘m glad I picked it, it‘s really great!
I had so much fun taking part of the Winter Solstice gift exchange last year! I love buying bookish gifts for people and I love this community! The awesome @MrBook @BookBabe @Avanders are putting it together this year for us. Sign up by November 10th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfD1dDKSK7scmgm0cDc-g_h0VTjgP3tcouyni_S...
@thequeerspiderwoman Sending hugs and a photo of Molly to you! 💕💕
I hope you all had a great Halloween! We have plenty of left over candy. My familiar Bert was not happy with my choice of hat, I think the feathers freaked him out! I woke up this morning and realized that it‘s Book of the Month day! Now what to pick!? What have you selected?
I‘m taking a class on the history of the English language. My professor gave us a list of topics to do a presentation on and I selected Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I present Monday and I‘ll discuss some of the more obscure words used in the text. The Tolkien translation is great and has a lot of information in it but I had to use another edition that had middle English on one page and modern English on the other.
It‘s raining books! Mr. Spock is checking out my new stash that came in. I got my BOTM selections along with two separate orders that I put in. I have no idea when I will have time to read all of these books but I can‘t wait to read them when I find that time! #bookmail
Hi Littens!! I hope that everyone is well. Bert is telling me to stop doing research for a paper and pay attention to him. I can‘t ignore that request!!
Loving every crazy second of grad school. Working on a biographical essay that takes the work of a scholar, the "parent," and how other scholars respond to that work (the "children"). Of course I'm looking at Cormac McCarthy scholars (Dianne Luce is the parent scholar I'm using). Hope all of you Littens are well, happy, and reading a great book. ??
Littens, HELP!! My almost 13 year old step-daughter is here for a two week visit. All thanks to Harry Potter, she has fallen in love with reading and Pottermania has struck. 💕💕 I was wondering if any of you could recommend other series or books that a Potter fan would love. Thank you!
Littens I have missed you! I started grad school two weeks ago and have been trying to figure out the whole work/school/life balance thing. AGGGGGGG! I love school. I'm taking a Victorian literature class which concentrates on the years of 1847-1857. We're starting with Vanity Fair, which I'm enjoying. I hope all of you are well and have been safe over the past two weeks if you live in the areas affected by Harvey and Irma. 💕💕
Last night I read the essay about food and dieting. Samantha Irby said that dark chocolate tastes like ants. I laughed so hard and long at that sentence. 😂😂 I sort of see where she's coming from.
pickI am including this photo of Molly because she is cute and the opposite of Samantha Irby's cat from hell, Helen. This book is profane, hilarious, and has a few sad essays too. I have laughed so loud reading this at night and woke my husband up. This book is a treasure and holds a lot of much needed laughter within its pages. You feel like Irby is talking to you when you read it. READ THIS BOOK! 😂
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