I‘m so sad. Our local B&N just announced it‘s closing April 2 due to the landlord not renewing their lease. Instead, it will become a gym. Word is, B&N is actively looking for a new location. We‘ll see.
#bookhaul #cults
I‘m so sad. Our local B&N just announced it‘s closing April 2 due to the landlord not renewing their lease. Instead, it will become a gym. Word is, B&N is actively looking for a new location. We‘ll see.
#bookhaul #cults
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reichert worked for over twenty years to solve the Green River Killer case. This is his firsthand recounting of the grueling hours, days, years he chased leads, logged evidence, and ultimately got that asshole Gary Ridgway.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Making a point to read more Ann Rule. This, her 23rd book, covers the Green River Killer, one of America‘s most prolific murderers. For 20 years, authorities diligently pieced together evidence until technological advances in DNA profiling came into existence. Rule does something I really appreciate here. She tells us about many of the victims; their lives, not just their horrific deaths. This, of course, led me down a GRK rabbit hole.
Book pillow. School pick up line snooze time.
#BOTM #dogsoflitsy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nothing makes me happier than a witty rendition of all the dumb shit humans do. This is quite the exploration of modern American depths and shallows. College sweethearts Jack and Elizabeth hit multiple bumps at 20 years married, and try to navigate careers, parenthood, and their relationship in a variety of ways. You‘re going to find something relatable. A brilliant satire on contemporary life!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leslie Fucking Jones doesn‘t read straight from the print book, but rather uses it as an outline for the audio production. A 300-page memoir does not need to span a very frenetic 17 hours on audio. And I have a pretty foul mouth but, holy shit. These stories get lost in an absolute tsunami of swear words. I have to think the print version is better edited. The best parts were when she cracked up at her own expense. She has the best laugh!
Love this #dedication 🤍
Hell yes! I love when #BOTM arrives quickly. Starting the St James immediately!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Short stories with one commonality: someone who left Kentucky but yearns to return. Tonally, these stories complement each other very well. He created down-and-out characters in fascinating, often endearing ways. I‘m drawn to Offutt, because I, too was born and raised in the Bluegrass State and love the references. Definitely seeking out his backlist. He attended the illustrious Iowa Writers‘ Workshop, so that‘s an automatic plus for me!
⭐️ Not at all a fan of this locked-room mystery‘s narrative style. The story gives strong Agatha Christie vibes, which is cool, but Michaelides‘s writing is so basic. It‘s astoundingly awful. A lot of short, clipped sentences that read nearly like stage directions. I enjoyed The Silent Patient, disliked The Maidens, and detested this. Never reading this dude again.
#BOTM
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Filterworld *is* our world. This comprehensive analysis of life after analog takes a minute to get going, but is ultimately an interesting read. Personal passions have been replaced by monetization. It‘s consistently harder to be unique. That‘s just a small glimpse, but you get the idea. Recommend to people who are reading my book reviews on social media. 😉
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Randomly snagged this in an Audible sale a few months ago. I‘d never heard of the I-5 Killer, but damn, this guy was a total lunatic. How he was ultimately detained in the time before DNA testing was a thing is pretty incredible. Ann Rule is the true crime queen. I need to read more of her.
⭐️⭐️ The gentrification storyline and social commentary were thoughtful and realistic. I wanted more of that. The thriller / mystery felt unnecessary, the romance was forced, and the steam was totally cringy, and quite honestly, out of place. #bookclub
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Reread of my top book from 2023, but this time on audio.
OG review: An exposition of the US prison system, capital punishment, and reality tv, where prisoners compete in colosseum-like death matches. They are commodified, sexualized and idolized. Survive three years and you‘ll be freed, they‘re told, as they serve the community through torturous entertainment. Brilliant, impactful, factual footnotes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Toole‘s Pulitzer-winning comic opus, A Confederacy of Dunces, is one of my most favorite novels. Sadly, his life ended at age 31. The Neon Bible, published posthumously, was written when he was just 16 for a contest. It‘s a teen boy‘s stream-of-consciousness #bildungsroman. David‘s a bit of a lost soul whose family is going through 1930s tough times. Oddly funny yet profoundly sad. It‘s no Dunces, obvs, but it‘s a solid read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Finally, my first Toni Morrison. I know, I‘m ashamed that it took this long, too. Formerly enslaved woman Sethe is haunted by a malevolent ghost believed to be her eldest daughter. Morrison uses elements of magical realism combined with lyrical prose to tell this story inspired by the true life of Kentucky slave Margaret Garner. So powerful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ This follows Land‘s struggles after escaping her abusive ex, moving with her young daughter to Missoula, Montana for a fresh start. I can‘t imagine sharing parenting duties in this situation. So much empathy. Still, I have mixed feelings on this follow up to Maid which itself was quite poignant and eye-opening. It‘s hard not to judge Land‘s personal life decisions, but no one‘s perfect, and I appreciate her honesty. Truly cringy at times.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Yes, an entire book about … frozen water. Medical uses, ice cream, popsicles, cocktails, sports surfaces, manufacturing advances, and even its role in the advent of the modern convenience store. Don‘t take ice for granted, y‘all. It‘s a much bigger part of everyday life, and history, than you realize. Fascinating read!
When you crack open a used book and discover it‘s signed by the author! 🤍✒️✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m not sure the Wildflower Duet needed an update, but here we are with Wildflower 2.5, a novella. Set around the holidays, Salem and Thayer are trying to add to their family, but it‘s a very stressful time. Can‘t say I‘m in a hurry to read Smeltzer again soon, but these books were a bit of a departure from my norm and entertaining enough.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ When Coulter had her introvert epiphany, I totally related. Same thing happened to me at about 30 years old and it was honestly life changing. Here, Coulter exposes her 10+ years at Amazon, starting in the early days, and quickly climbing. I appreciate the insight, and inside info, but this was just okay.
It‘s been a while since I‘ve had time to enjoy a puzzle. I‘ve missed it! 🎧🧩 #audiopuzzling
“When I first saw her, she had all these rags tied around her dress and all these accessories.”
📷 Tiny me trying to mimic Madonna‘s style.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When I say this biography is thorough, I‘m serious. Nearly 900 pages, or 42 hours on audio. Humble beginnings, fame, fashion, family, philanthropy. What a life! This sparked vivid memories of swinging on my T-Gym (remember those?) singing every word to “Like a Prayer.” I‘d worked so hard to memorize the lyrics. I was 8. I want to thank my parents for inadvertently not censoring me from Madonna. I loved her growing up.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When I say this biography is thorough, I‘m serious. Nearly 900 pages, or 42 hours on audio. Humble beginnings, fame, fashion, family, philanthropy. What a life! This sparked vivid memories of swinging on my T-Gym (remember those?) singing every word to “Like a Prayer.” I‘d worked so hard to memorize the lyrics. I was 8. I want to thank my parents for inadvertently not censoring me from Madonna. I loved her growing up.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Patchett‘s writing is so smooth and lovely, but this story didn‘t do it for me. Though I‘m generally over pandemic novels, I would‘ve preferred more of the Covid isolation story than reminiscing on mom‘s very brief acting past. I get what Patchett was doing, I just didn‘t like the story. I couldn‘t give a damn about Peter Drake. Our Town holds no significance for me. A whole novel about this? Oof. I didn‘t love Streep‘s narration either.
⭐️⭐️ Ugh. I don‘t know why I keep reading thrillers. There‘s never enough character development. Minus that blanket statement, this story wasn‘t even gripping. People very close to Emma were murdered but she showed zero emotion. No one did. So why should I care what happened?
Off to a solid start!
My ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reads:
- The Running Grave
- Romney, A Reckoning
- Migrations
#januaryreads #januarywrapup
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘ve been dipping in and out of this collection of slice-of-life short stories all month. It was honestly slow going, but I loved a few. The real standouts are “Li Fan,”cleverly told in reverse, and “Persona Development” which toys with monitoring the elderly as we do infants. Chang writes thoughtful stories, but some didn‘t quite hold my attention. Narrowly a pick. #BOTM
⭐️⭐️⭐️ A nice departure from the over-saturated market of domestic thrillers. Fast-paced is a plus, but combined with a nonlinear timeline and several aliases, and it was a little confusing at times. Not a problem, just an observation. Entertaining enough, but didn‘t live up to the hype for me. Over the top, but perhaps the most unbelievable part was the love story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Set in a near future with rapid animal extinction, Franny casts off with a commercial fishing crew to follow a specific bird on likely its last migration. Where there are fish, there are birds, and vice versa. For a bit, this felt like two stories slapped together until we are fully aware of the circumstances. Such a gut punch. One of the absolute best, most emotional, endings I‘ve experienced in some time. #bookclub
⭐️⭐️ After reading, and appreciating, Crystal Hefner‘s new memoir, I decided to grab Holly Madison‘s second one. I read her memoir Down the Rabbit Hole a few years ago and enjoyed, but this was pretty abysmal. Dating fail after dating fail was boring and very surface level. Know when to lower your expectations, I guess. 😂
It‘s taking me forever to get through this collection. Grabbing a story or two while my 11 year old works on his Lego typewriter. A wild Friday night! 🙂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I stopped watching Girls Next Door once the main three began to exit, so all I remembered hearing about Crystal was that she actually ended up marrying Hef‘s old ass. Her time in the Mansion was really sad and disturbing. I believe it was the same for all his “girlfriends.” All the rules and roles. Feeling trapped, indebted. What truly broke my heart was hearing about Crystal‘s first love. ⬇️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A memoir of working for iconic bare-bones retailer American Apparel. Sexualized feminism. Influence. Power. And Dov. Flannery was desperate for a job when she was gratefully discovered, then quickly put in charge of talent recruitment. A lot of odd practices ensued. She stayed much longer than she should have. Culty vibes!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Journalist McKay Coppins dives deep into the life and political career of Mitt Romney. Compiled from calls, texts, emails, and personal journal entries, this is thoughtfully organized and executed, starting with the Jan 6 insurrection then going back in time. A “how we got here” explanation. This felt pretty honest and unbiased. I‘ve certainly gained some respect for Romney, and not just because we share great disdain for JD Vance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Maggie is under 30, going through a divorce, and attempting to navigate life after. Online dating is a mess. Work is a mess. Friendships, you get it, a mess. Darkly humorous, and relatable to most women in their 30-40s regardless of marital status. A sort of mid-life coming of age. Maggie is frustrating, but so lovable, and funny. Not surprising this was clever given Heisey was a Schitt‘s Creek writer. Bonus: Julia Whalen narrates.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Speculative murder mystery? Ok, I‘m in. Women murdered by a serial killer are cloned, then reintroduced to their lives by a government program. It‘s an … adjustment. On the surface, I love this concept, but I wanted the execution to go deeper. The twist is underwhelming, though contextually believable. I just wanted a little more development. Regardless, it‘s a solid read.
Six years ago TO THE DAY. Exact same circumstances. School has been canceled all week for snow, but the roads are clear enough around us, the library was able to reopen today. Had to recreate the photo!
#raisingreaders
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1940s cartoonist labor relations, so if that sounds kinda boring, you‘re not wrong! The writing‘s a bit dry, but it‘s probably hard to apply a narrative spin to such a topic. This in-depth history of the animation company Walt built, covers the struggles and successes, positives and negatives. There‘s significant focus on famous animator Art Babbitt, mastermind behind Goofy. Disney history nerds, pick it up.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Galbraith / Rowling had me believing the Universal Humanitarian Church was so real I was tempted to look for a documentary. That‘s how phenomenal the story building, and telling, is! Strike and Robin are tasked with removing a client‘s young adult son from what they believe is a cult. Both a page-turner and a slow burn. The seventh #CormoranStrike, and IMO, the best.
#chunkster
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This series is a gentle, but realistic coming of age. I maybe don‘t agree with some of the parenting decisions in volume 5, but that, again, is pretty realistic. Charlie and Nick are considering escalating their relationship. Additionally, Nick, who is older, visits possible universities for next year. Relatable to many. These characters are sweet and so likable, you instinctively cheer them on.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enemies-to-lovers rom-com set in a financially struggling winter-themed park in Florida. I love the setting; so quirky and fun. Lauren and Asa constantly give each other shit until one day they realize their mutual attraction. Pretty deep backgrounds unfold as well. A very enjoyable, mostly happy, holiday read. Plus this cover is so charming! #coverlove
My precious, very tall, 9 year old read 40-50 this year! He prefers reading before falling asleep, and loves rereading favorites, so I can‘t keep track. 😂 But he‘s awesome. Proud of him!
#raisingreaders
My 11 year old read 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ books this year! He asked me to keep track. 🙂 And I‘m a photo snapper. He‘s the sweetest little soccer-playing, video-game-loving, reader. So proud of him!
#raisingreaders
Very pleased with the 170 books I read this year! 86 were nonfiction. It‘s the first time I‘ve hit 50%. It‘s not intentional, but I like to look back at year‘s end and compare fiction vs nonfiction for my own satisfaction, I guess. 🙂 Overall favorite was, without a doubt, Chain-Gang All-Stars. Best novel I‘ve read in years. YEARS.
#2023reads #topreads
✨🥂 H A P P Y 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ 🥂✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was super intrigued, and excited, to read this story, but hoped for more of a narrative style. It‘s a bit dry. Still, Stéphane Breitwieser is a unique thief. Supposedly it wasn‘t about the monetary value, but rather, being surround by beauty … which he and his girlfriend accomplice kept hidden in his mom‘s attic. The mom is easily my fave person in this whole bizarre debacle.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ This first line is a gut punch, but this didn‘t hold my attention. About 100 pages in, I remembered how much I disliked Sing, Unburied, Sing, so was left wondering why in the world I chose this BOTM? Ward is clearly a talented author, but this writing style is too flowery for me. The focus becomes lost in the writing. It‘s a worthwhile story, but I didn‘t care for the magical realism elements. I also wanted more of the woman warrior aspect.