If you read one book this summer, make it this one. Dynamite. At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2017/04/09/be-true-to-me-by-adele-griffin/

I found this exquisitely researched and detailed biography of the Janus-faced writer Shirley Jackson utterly beguiling. Ruth Franklin tells the story of Jackson's life through her fiction, giving readers a thorough grounding in the Jackson canon as well as an interesting and highly readable timeline of her life. Anyone interested in the writing life or Jackson's unique fiction shouldn't hesitate to dive into this fascinating biography.

At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2017/01/10/my-sister-rosa-by-justine-larbalestier/

Trip to @strandbookstore yielded this feminist book haul. #nastywoman #nastywomenread

It‘s a pleasure to read a story about down-and-out teens that subverts stereotypes and provides an in-depth and heartbreaking look at how addiction fractures families. While this fresh novel will probably make you cry more than laugh, its a strong testimony to the power of hope and the resilience of the human spirit. More at Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/12/22/this-is-the-part-where-you-laugh-by-peter...

Teaching myself a new hobby during winter break from what else? A book!

At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/12/17/scythe-by-neal-shusterman/

At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/12/11/saving-red-by-sonya-sones/

I have been meaning to read this cheery blue and yellow book on how to define and create personal happiness for some time, and finally pulled the trigger in an airport bookstore on the way to California for Thanksgiving. Gretchen Rubin's practical (sometimes hilariously so) guide to hands-on happiness inspired me to revive my birthday list, toss my stretched out yoga pants, take up meditation and stop nagging my husband :)

This all-too-short, intergenerational, cross-cultural historical fiction read like a novella out of one of my favorite books, Lonesome Dove. Captain Kidd and Johanna are unforgettable characters that made me cry twice: at a devastating farewell and a satisfying wedding. And for those who have already read this gem, I will never look at loose change, especially dimes, the same way again. Sky high recommended.

This book was a master class in how to hint at the unsaid and unacknowledged. Unfortunately, since I read like a 12 year old girl, I would have appreciated a little less hinting and a little more just coming out and telling of Lucy's past traumas. But the spare, evocative writing is worthy of all the praise it's garnered, and I will particularly remember the the snake event, which is the very definition of domestic horror.

Hope Jahren's true stories of life, love and science labs basically saved my life after the election when I went on a news blackout and needed something soulful, honest and empathetic. The fascinating chapters on how to mix sterile IV bags and Jahren's first important scientific seed discovery are simply unforgettable. I have never felt such abiding affection for a subject after closing the cover. A truly unique reading experience.

At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/11/05/watched-by-marina-budhos/

Had to read for book club, but bailed at 3/4 mark because despite the cracking plot, the treacle-y, cliched dialogue did me in. No more.

As a jaded fiction reader, I was constantly surprised by Maria Semple's fresh prose and unexpected plotting. This book is as compulsively readable, deeply insightful and reliably funny as a season binge of Fleabag (which if you haven't indulged yet, get thee to an Amazon Prime account and view post haste. You're welcome) I only wish it were longer because this is the book I want to read always and forever. Amen.

A charming slice of Mid-western middle school life, as translated by a lovable young man who is always one step behind the curve. His reactions to the death of his grandfather, the realization that a family member is gay and the acceptance of a differently abled classmate are sweet and realistic.

Set during the exciting, unsettling days that lead up to the Battle of Yorktown, ASHES is a deeply satisfying conclusion to an extraordinary historical journey. NTBM! (Not To Be Missed) More at Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/10/17/ashes-by-laurie-halse-anderson/

Got $50 bucks for my birthday, ordered up these goodies pronto.

Only 50 pages in and I'm already sobbing. Love these books.

A cracking good story that is also a sobering mediation on the corrupting influence of religion, class warfare and patriarchy. Read the rest of my Goodreads review...https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1747183354

At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1747183180

At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/09/25/the-sun-is-also-a-star-by-nicola-yoon/

This short lyrical novel is all the things: a love poem to a beloved, complicated neighborhood, an elegy of childhood, a paean to memory. Every page can be used as an example of juicy writing and perfect word choice. A must-read for anyone who reads anything ever.

This story of the parallel lives of an immigrant family from Cameroon and a wealthy white family in Manhattan during the economic crash of 2008 is a compelling, honest portrayal of the two New York Cities and the chasm that exists between the 1% and the other 99. The short chapters and shifting viewpoints kept the pace swift, and while the white characters behaved in stereotypical ways, the Cameroonian family leapt off the page.

Solid YA historical fiction on a unusual topic. At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/09/04/every-hidden-thing-by-kenneth-oppel/

Everyone who works with teens should read this book. At Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2016/08/23/it-looks-like-this-by-rafi-mittlefehldt/

This tale of a tiny, terrifying teenage gymnast and the village it takes to support her is a murder mystery wrapped in a leotard inside a cryptic marriage. Abbott is the master of staging setting and creating atmosphere. This breathless book of bad parenting begs to be read in a single 24 hour period. I could not put it down. Not a gold medal read for me, but definitely a silver.

Can't. Stop. Reading.

An engaging, anecdotal examination of a disturbing and sad slice of American culture. Vance pulls no punches and makes no apologies for his hillbilly background, challenging readers to question their assumptions and stereotypes of rural Appalachia.

Of course, Bookmail coincided with a review deadline of a book I DON'T want to read. Sigh.

Absolutely stunning. http://www.readingrants.org/2016/08/12/the-underground-railroad-by-colson-whiteh...

This neat and tidy cozy mystery set in Cornwall, England in both the thirties and the early 00's, is a perfect summer read. Full of luscious detail and red herrings, it often goes on too long but who cares when the August days are long and the alarm clock is silent? If you're looking for a hefty paperback that you won't finish too soon at the beach, then by all means, dive in!

Book mail!! Proudly purchased from indie gem @AstoriaBookshop :)

Only about 100 pages in and adore, just ADORE. A ripping good yarn, perfect summer reading.

Read for review. Meh. The author never met an adjective she didn't like.

I tried so hard to finish this epic story of a racist white horse breeder, his unfeeling daughter and her black lover, but even though I came within 200 pages of finishing it, the over-writing finally made me quit. There were loads of beautiful sentences and settings, but the unlikable characters and long, long episodes of both human and animal suffering described in exquisite detail, made me skip over to other books for a much needed break.

Fabulous page turner! Harriet the Spy meets The Grifters. http://www.readingrants.org/2016/07/27/dont-you-trust-me-by-patrice-kindl/

I'm always suspicious of a character who doesn't like fiction :)

Influenced by you, Litsy readers. I heard so much about these titles I had to order! Excited to dig in.

So. Slow. The writing was solid, but repetitive and the reveals were too glacial for this to be a decent thriller in my book. I'm surprised at the rave professional reviews, I was bored and skimmed the last quarter.

LOVE! http://www.readingrants.org/2016/07/15/the-inquisitors-tale-by-adam-gidwitz/

An adorable little free library seen on vacation in Northville, MI.

So very, very excited to be starting this one!

A solid read for NYC lifers and transplants alike. Best essays include those by the editor, Roseanne Cash, Julie Klam, Adam Sternbergh, Brian Macaluso, Elizabeth Gilbert, Maris Kreizman, and Adelle Waldman. The good, the bad and the ugly, it's all here and I love it anyway.

Yep. That's it in a nutshell. From Adam Sternbergh's essay.

A plotty domestic thriller about a close suburban London community full of clueless adults and backstabbing kids who look innocent on the surface but who are actually hiding more secrets than the CIA. I was throughly entertained and though this is my first Lisa Jewell book, it won't be my last!

A little professional reading, a little fun reading, a little cat.

Because I just want to read a family drama thriller that may have YA crossover appeal and so far the kid/teen characters are terrific.

While I deeply appreciated these character-driven connected short stories about a Ghanaian family split and scarred by slavery, I found the pacing slow and was hindered by the lack of dates. I was also more captivated by the historical first half of the book than than the contemporary second half

Because I'm coming up on 20 yrs in NYC.