My boys placed several like-new Little Golden Books (Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc) in the LFL at one of our amazing local parks. 💚 Sure hope some little ones take these home and enjoy!

#raisingreaders

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘ll Be Gone in the Dark really messed me up, but this memoir‘s premise had me ready to hear about GSK again. Holes, the detective who unceasingly worked this case for 24 years, details his processes, wrong turns and right, and how the obsession unraveled his personal life. It‘s not only about GSK, but it‘s the crux. He speaks of his close friendship with Michelle McNamara and her hand in keeping the case forefront. Science is cool!

Fellow Sedaris Stans: He was on Conan‘s podcast last week and it‘s a fantastic listen! He was also on back in February of 2019, so you‘ll probably want to check that one out, too. Really fun!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My only complaint is that it‘s too short, so the obvs solution was to read it twice! It‘s an excellent collection largely about Lou Sedaris and pandemic times. Funny and dark commentary as usual. The last essay where he mentions his first post-Covid show in Nashville? I was there, at War Memorial Auditorium, front row center! I could see his freshly Invisalign-ed smile. It was an incredible evening!

Finally found some time for my favorite summer reading spot! ☀️ It‘s 100°F here today, so I had to take a couple of dips with my boys. Election ? is my pick for #bookclub and I‘m loving it so far.

Playroom #shelfie inspired by a conversation I overheard yesterday. 😂

Friend: Wow, you guys have a lot of books!
My (new) 10 year old: We‘re smart!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A romance author and a literary author, both sparked by their tumultuous whirlwind week together as teens, have been writing to one another through their art. This is a very intense story of lost and found love. Eva‘s daughter Audre, a precocious, intelligent 12 year old, was a brilliant addition. And a h/t to Williams for seamlessly weaving in: POC in publishing, positive co-parenting, non-visible disability, and addiction recovery.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A traumatic experience leads to new friendships that morph into family. This common thread, punctuated with humor, is a Waxman staple. It works; she‘s a must read! Set in the world of Nina Hill and Garden of Small Beginnings, new LA transplant Laura ducks into a book shop during a downpour. There, she meets some whimsical folks who immediately take her in. Sometimes it takes a village to raise an adult, and to gently help them adjust.

⭐️ Holy hell, why did I finish this?! It was really stupid. Just a big ol‘ mess. Too many unrealistic characters, too much dialogue, not enough development. Not evocatively scary, just gore for shock value. I bailed on Southern Vampire whatever a while back, so it‘s 100% safe to say Hendrix is not for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A poignant, often funny, look at modern ethics: moral dilemmas, moral reasoning, utilitarian limits, virtue signaling, moral exhaustion, etc. This spoke directly to the spastic rule follower in me, who is so hyperaware of being considerate and respectful, often to a fault, resulting in sometimes being a passive-aggressive asshole. So, yeah, I really enjoyed this!

🎧👟 My boys are at run training again so I‘m walking on the greenway. I was busy taking a pic of the pretty creek when I almost stepped on this fellow! 🐍#audiowalk

Greenway #audiowalk while my boys have run training. It‘s hot AF already.? Feels like 96°F at 9:15am. Pretty intense for June!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ How to navigate relationships with all the divisiveness of the last few years. In short, how to exist in the world without being in constant conflict. We all have similarities and differences. If you feel overwhelmed, this book provides nuance, grounding and refocus. The friendship bits were my favorite. Bonus points that I‘ve been acquainted with one of the authors most of my life. Happy for, and proud of you, Sarah! #PansuitPolitics

Enjoying the hell out of rereading Saga! 🍺 On Volume 8 now.

🎧👟 Enjoying this one so far! #audiowalk

What I wore to #bookclub yesterday … this #bookishtee is the most recent NPL fundraiser! ❤️‍🔥

PS. I‘m SO behind on reviews which appears to be my new norm. Hoping to get caught up this weekend. 😅

Post-dessert reading time! And the floof. 😂🐾

#raisingreaders #dogsoflitsy

My sons are at running practice, so Champ and I are walking on the greenway. He‘s loving the creek breaks! 😂 And I just started the tagged book; the second from my high school friend Sarah Holland (of the #PantsuitPolitics podcast).

#audiowalk #dogsoflitsy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Every time I opened this book, The Prodigy song (same title) popped into my head, taking me back a couple of decades. If you don‘t know it, look it up! 🤘🏼 A “Lot 6” experiment eventually leads to a child born with a dangerous pyrokinetic power. Now, the government agency responsible wants her dead. Solid story, but too long-winded even though it‘s brief by King‘s standards. #bookclub

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Emily Henry is a must-read! Her characters are quick with witty dialogue creating a fun experience no matter the main objective. And she nails the stories, too. Here, Henry even cleverly pokes fun at tropes and archetypes of her own genre. Rom-com with a side of satire is the way to my heart! This is a well-rounded story: book love, romantic love, sister love. Very enjoyable!

My precious *almost* 10 year old read book one of the Percy Jackson graphic novelizations today. He couldn‘t put it down! ⚡️ Books 2-5 are arriving soon.

PS. He will continue to wear this Pikachu onesie until it literally doesn‘t fit. Look at his wrists … there‘s not much time left. 😂

#raisingreaders

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m always leery of adaptations of favorites, but this is beautifully rendered. Just incredible artwork! Scout is exactly as I‘ve always imagined. Just perfect. While I know all original text can‘t make it into a graphic novel, one of my favorite lines is missing. Docking a star for that. Otherwise, it‘s fantastic!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Klein waxes honestly on new motherhood, her anxieties and cluelessness, and the struggle to feel comfortable in her body. Some readers will identify, some won‘t, and that‘s okay. I‘m tired of reviewers claiming that privileged white people aren‘t allowed to *gasp* have problems nor write about them. Memoir Police: Tell me, what are the parameters for writing about personal experiences? There are none? Stop tearing other women down.

I swear this dog is going to speak human to me one day. 😂

#dogsoflitsy

Time for a #reread! And time for my all-time favorite beer, only available in Wisconsin, but brought to us by awesome friends. 🍺 Cheers to those who have laid down their lives for our freedom. We appreciate you beyond comprehension. #MemorialDay 🇺🇸

I‘m all for weird and quirky, but this line is fucked up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A once student, and long-time friend of my beloved David Sedaris? Hell yes, I‘m in! This memoir in essays covers House‘s life post-addiction, openly discussing what it‘s like living in recovery as a parent and writer. Of course, my favorite moments were about her close friendship with Sedaris. She often opens for him on tour. Sadly, of the three times I‘ve seen him, she hasn‘t been there. Maybe next time! ⬇️

⭐️⭐️ I grabbed this after The Honest Toddler/Bunmi Laditan relentlessly peddled it on social. While it offers a smidge of insight as to why second-borns are so *ahem* challenging, it‘s super short, not that funny, and needs more editing. Can‘t recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Right out of the gate, Dratch addresses her career, or lack there of, post-SNL. Consistently offered the roles of what she refers to as the “Unfuckables.” How horrible it must feel to be best known for not being beautiful (i.e. normal looking). Hollywood is so dumb and delusional. A natural storyteller, she takes us briefly through her career then shifts focus to her personal life and becoming a parent. A decent, quick listen.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A major trauma at age four left Shannon in what felt (to me) like an impossible situation. She unpacks quite a lot of family stuff here and it‘s really incredible the relationship she maintained with her dad. Shannon was among many amazing female comics who absolutely saved a floundering SNL. Loved the interesting tidbits about the inception and evolution of her marquee character Mary Katherine Gallagher. Solid memoir!

Reinstating “Reading Club” for the summer. Today, my 8 year old hosted us in his bedroom. 🤩 That‘s him in the loft reading a Dork Diaries book. He loves that series but refuses to be seen reading them in public because they‘re “girl books” and he‘s worried he‘ll be made fun of. I always tell him they‘re middle grade stories for ANY kid, and it‘s cool he likes books with a female protagonist. Normalize reading whatever you like!!

#raisingreaders

First day of summer break for my boys and we‘re spending the afternoon outside. It‘s been a challenging day so far behavior-wise, but the fresh air is doing us all some good right now. ⚽️🏀📖 Loving this graphic novel adaptation of one of my favorites.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m usually hit-or-miss with books about books, but this falls right in the middle. Some aspiring readers randomly come across a reading list full of well-known titles, and decide, what the hell, let‘s try reading these. 🚨Minor spoilers for the books discussed, but not really enough to deter. Overall, the story is a bit cheesy, but it works. Of the POV, Mukesh was my favorite. He‘s just adorable in his the newfound love. #bookclub

☀️🎧👟 Another hot AF day in middle Tennessee … so I‘m exercising while working on my tan and listening to this memoir. The best kind of multitasking! #audiowalk

The ridiculous face of a dog who is not having this walk. 😂🎧🐾

#audiowalk #dogsoflitsy

Just wanted to share this adorable drawing by my 8 year old as his class wraps up this final read of the school year. 🕸🕷🐷

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Some Pig” - and a spectacular spider! Though I‘ve always been familiar with this friendship story, I‘d never actually read the book. That changed when my second grader‘s class started reading it and the little sweetie asked me to join him. A stunningly-written, lovely story. So easy to see why it‘s beloved.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It‘s fascinating how 1960s California was such a hotbed for serial murder and cult activity. By fascinating, I mean terrifying. As a Zodiac noob, I knew very little about this case other than the murders remain unsolved. Graysmith provides details, letters, decodings, patterns, and suspects. A solid true crime account. In recent years, DNA testing has been attempted, though unreported. I hope this gets solved Golden State Killer style.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Is this a thoughtful musing on racial injustice or a heavy-handed, self-indulgent dose of metafiction? Both? I‘m conflicted. Parts are clever and meaningful while others are quite vexatious; the narrator, unreliable. It‘s stylistically busy, though I do appreciate how the stories converge. How this won the #NationalBookAward, idk, though. Should make for an interesting #bookclub discussion, regardless!

This is why I love the afternoon car rider line … peaceful #audiobook time. I‘ve been so looking forward to this book and was stoked when my hold was available this morning. Hooray for libraries! 💃🏼

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enlightening isn‘t the right word. Bizarre. Preposterous. Horrifying. Rothschild details the inception, progression, and eventual silence of the group whose propaganda fueled the Jan 6th attack. These Trump extremists believed and pushed so much bullshit, it‘s truly incredible. I‘ll never understand how conspiracy theorists navigate their daily lives. It must be exhausting residing in that headspace.

Just introverting, enjoying a High Noon, and learning about the delusional folks of QAnon. It‘s the perfect wind down after a hot, soccer-filled weekend.

#cheers #booksandbooze

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “It‘s unfair how the body crumbles while the soul still lives in it.“

This was almost incredible. Clive is suffering from a brain disease that causes entertaining hallucinations. Daughter Emma returns home to help watch over him. For me, this, the animals, and school kids were enough. Rasputin and Moses were nice touches, but the healer stuff, missing person, and cemetery commentary were TOO much. This needed reining in a smidge.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ McWhorter sets out to disprove the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. Yeah, I had to look that up, too. In short, he disagrees that people who speak different languages have differing perceptions. He delves into such details as color distinctions, the presence/absence of tenses, numbers, groupings, time orientation, the complexity of native languages vs developed language, and so on. Insightful, but the organization was too scattered. Confusing AF.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was not previously familiar with Buteau, but I‘ll 100% be watching her standup “Buteaupia” ASAP. What a funny and sharp storyteller! From her New Jersey upbringing to her foray into standup following 9/11, and much in between, we get her life and perspectives. She‘s open about infertility and the accompanying stress and heartache, so be aware if that is a topic you‘d prefer to skip. A fantastic essay collection; audio recommended!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I picked this up because my trusted friend @JGadz11 sent me a pic of some 311 references.🤘🏼 Hell, yes! Sold. This is a clever play on gig economy. Instead of ride sharing or food delivery, the focus is an app for killing mutants that enter the “Bubble” from the outside. An entertaining story with cool artwork and likable characters, but what I loved most were the 90s pop culture references. And satire is my literary jam. A fun read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Picture it: Monica Lewinsky meets “The Wedding Planner.” Young intern Aviva has an affair with a much older congressmen. Everything blows up in their faces, because duh. It took a bit too long to set this story up. Aviva‘s (aka Jane‘s) new life is where it shines. She‘s a mom, event planner, and all-around star of her small town. Not a fan overall, but I adored precocious Ruby. 👉🏼 Check out Zevin‘s newest out July 5. It‘s incredible!

👀🐰 #audiowalk #bookclub #dogsoflitsy

Grabbed this photo at #bookclub today. 🤩 Want to make lovely new friends as an adult? Start a book club! A friend and I started this group only knowing a couple of members, but we posted in local fb groups, and ladies showed up to the first meeting not knowing anyone. That takes courage! We‘ve now had 3 meetings, and I‘m digging our core group of 10-12. Bookish people are the BEST. 💚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Otsuka‘s shifting narrative style works brilliantly! Through scant details, the group of swimmers, and community atmosphere, feel genuine. And the crack. Oh, the crack. Such clever storytelling! The scope then narrows to one particular swimmer and her experiences with memory loss. The snarky, yet accurate, chapter that reads like a long-term care brochure is satire at its absolute finest. A super emotional read for me. ⬇️