In Kentucky visiting family! I love that my parents still live in the home I grew up in. This house, this town, will 100% always be “home” even though I haven‘t lived here in 21 years. Lovely #audiowalk this morning!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Brandy Old Fashioneds, Cribbage, supper clubs?! Though this takes place in Minnesota, it made me nostalgic for the time we lived in Wisconsin. We had our first son there. Love the midwestern mixture of cultures! There was a lot going on in this multigenerational story; obvs several characters, but also shifting timelines, so pay attention! The atmosphere was at times heartbreaking, but overall, delightful.

Never too old to read some Dahl. Grabbing a couple of peach/mango cream ales at our local brewery.
🍺📖✨

#booksandbrews

🎧🧩 #audiopuzzling

School‘s out! I‘m reading Matilda for the first time and enjoying the hell out of it. My boys are swimming to their hearts‘ content in a pretty chilly pool!

#poolsidereading

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Too often, careless investigative work causes cases to run cold. In 1996, Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were murdered just off the A.T. in Shenandoah Nat‘l Park. In addition to diving deep into their lives and deaths, Miles provides a necessary commentary on violence against women and possible hate crimes. The nonlinear presentation was an interesting, yet effective choice here. Credit to Miles for drawing attention back to this case.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wang - journalist, and former Refinery29 editorial director - shares nine stories / adventures experienced with her Chinese immigrant mother. I knew I was gonna enjoy this when she explained the title. How clever! The mother-daughter relationship thread works well here. A solid essay collection; my favorite being the one about Disney.

#coverlove

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Drastically different teens bond over their Asian American heritage. One conforms to mainstream American culture; one marches to his own (awesome) drummer. One is brutally killed for no discernible reason. This is a memoir about grief foremost, yet also about being oneself. New Yorker staff writer Hsu tells this brutal story as beautifully as he can. It‘s a lovely tribute.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ In American culture, drinking is largely acceptable and almost expected, but being sober seems so taboo. Levy‘s experiences, insight, and ultimate solution certainly elicit empathy. Not everyone will relate, but probably more will than want to admit it. Even as someone who imbibes, I respect and appreciate Levy‘s openness. Her bravery is admirable and will help many.

#coverlove

Today‘s B&N haul! I‘ve somehow never read Are You There, God? The rest are for my (almost) 11 year old who already tore through Attack on Titan this evening, and has requested I get the next couple. I‘m curious to see what he thinks about Hunger Games. Oddly enough, I remember devouring the series while on bed rest with him!

#bookhaul
#raisingreaders

Walking with my best bud! 🎧🐾

#audiowalk
#dogsoflitsy

My IRL book club‘s discussion of Doyle's and Wambach's specific experiences led to what "norms" were instilled in most of us by our parents, many of whom never actually thought to question why families, religious beliefs, etc had to be a certain way. There is not just one correct way to be or to live.

#bookclub

My soon-to-be middle schooler is already getting started on his sixth grade summer reading assignment. Happy to see he‘s not a procrastinator like his mom! 😅

#raisingreaders
#dogsoflitsy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I willingly just read a novel about sanctioned cannibalism. Why?? For the literary merit, I guess. Ugh. Simultaneously an allegory on factory farming and a commentary on how a deadly virus can fully conform a society into committing absolute atrocities. Often shocking for shock‘s sake. There are some truly provocative moments, but too many plot holes. Mostly I just felt queasy and wanted it to end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bragg is one of my favorite writers. He creates images of the south that remind me so much of my precious Memaw and stories from the older generations. And good ol‘ southern metaphors are always comforting. Here, Bragg pieces together stories about the maternal grandfather he never knew. Audio is a must! These anecdotes are meant for his drawl and cadence.

This cutie will soon be in 4th grade! My babies are getting so big. 😭

#raisingreaders

This one will soon be in middle school. What?! He‘s the most precious kid, I swear. I escaped to read outside, and few minutes later, he and little bro came out with their current reads. 🤍

#raisingreaders

I don‘t know about this one, y‘all.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Per social media, the default symbol of a good mom is white/thin/pretty/cis. That combination is not indicative of the majority of American moms, so why do we care about these people? I generally don‘t; at least not intentionally. Petersen takes a look at this bizarre industry. Smart and snarky.

PS. The takedown of Rachel Hollis gave me much pleasure. She‘s awful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had no idea who Heather Gay was when I grabbed this for the catchy title. I‘ve never seen a single episode of any Housewives season, though now I‘m tempted to watch SLC, especially since we lived in Holladay for a couple years. This exceeded expectations. Gay speaks of growing up in the LDS church, and the challenges she faced coming of age; big life decisions, marriage, kids, business, divorce, & the show. Solid (sorta) celeb memoir.

⭐️⭐️ Simultaneously too confusing, yet somehow not complex enough. The lack of depth and development led to a lack of caring about the outcome. If there had been more time for everything to build up then unfold - if reworked as more of a slow burn - this would‘ve been a hit instead of a miss.

PUB: 9.12.23 #netgalley #coverlove

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So many tropes, yet Henry somehow makes them work, and feel believable. My favorite thing about her books is the flow. They never feel forced. The dialogue is always solid; always a sense of humor. This is a story about relationships, both of the romantic and friend sort, changing shapes as life progresses. Very relatable! Do what makes you happy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ To better understand this country, read both this and Evicted. With Desmond‘s years of immersive research, and smooth narrative style, he thoroughly explains major socioeconomic and societal issues that keep the impoverished in a holding pattern. Recognizing that, in America, there are two housing markets and two labor markets is a much-needed perspective. This is a must-read; go audio. Dion Graham, please narrate my life!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my first experience with Gordon, but I‘m so impressed! Here, she dispels common misconceptions with research and expertise. We must stop monitoring each others bodies. Size does not dictate someone‘s worth. We know this in our heads and hearts, but implicit bias can be a rude, sneaky bitch. No doubt, it‘s a direct correlation of how we perceive ourselves and our own worth. Why are we like this? It‘s dumb. We have to do better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Some really fantastic, impactful dialogue, but over all, I wasn‘t a great fan of the story. Although this one doesn‘t quite measure up the the previous books, the New Kid series is a must read. I‘m saving these for my boys. They‘ll be ready for them soon!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Quality satire with a “Nextdoor”-type online message board serving as the vehicle of story connection. This was very fun, thoughtful, and relatable. Satire, when done well, is extra funny because it cleverly pokes fun at the absurdity of real life. This was a nice change of pace from what I‘ve been reading lately.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Editing this sucker down might‘ve saved it for me. Idk. Probably not! Giving it three stars because Awad‘s writing is quite good. Too bad this story is excruciatingly boring. I‘m in no great rush to try her again.

Sometimes you just need to revisit funny favorites for the comfort. Perhaps you live in Tennessee and need a distraction from the shit show?? No matter what, Helen Ellis is a good call. I #reread all three of these little gems recently. Can‘t wait for her new collection, pubbing in June!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m many years late, but finally read this, then immediately binged Serial. All the details, all the research. Y‘all, I still don‘t know.

What do you think??

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A captive, ornery Giant Pacific Octopus knows he‘s at the end of his days and starts living life to the fullest. I‘m happy to say this lives up to the hype! I feel like that doesn‘t often happen. This is a thoughtful, full-circle story of an improbable friendship. That said, I wanted more Marcellus. Such a fun POV! Incredible debut; looking forward to hearing what both of my book clubs think! #bookclub

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not exactly a memoir, but a personal essay collection covering many pivotal life moments plus a few trivial ones. So, no full-on life story thus far, just random bits and pieces. I liked the organization, and mostly enjoyed Barrymore‘s audio narration, though sometimes she was a bit too theatrical for my taste.

March: 15
TYD: 44

Several good ones and a couple of real stinkers. Overall, a decent month! Sadly no 5-star reads, but my favorite was probably the Hilton memoir.

#marchreads #marchwrapup

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A necessary filler story to introduce Robin, though it wasn‘t solely focused on him. It was an exercise in Teen Titan team building and brother bonding. Love the art as always! So looking forward to “Starfire” next spring!

#cheers Vonnegutians!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ From little Vinnie Lupton to “Mr McMahon,” and sadly, from an abused child to an abusive adult. I now know more about professional wrestling than necessary, but those were the fascinating bits of this biography. McMahon is manipulative, power hungry, and not a good human. And he‘s friends with Donald Trump, so that should tell you something. #RIPOwenHart

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A #reread for my IRL #bookclub. I appreciated it the first time around, but knowing now that it was life-changing for a friend, I went in with that perspective in mind. It‘s a solid self-help style memoir with several valid points, perhaps the biggest takeaway being: TRUST YOURSELF.

⭐️⭐️ It‘s implied that Molly, a meticulous maid in an upscale hotel, is neurodivergent, but the character‘s traits and behaviors are very inconsistent. Many reviewers have taken major offense to this, and I absolutely get it, but I also don‘t hold every novel accountable for complete accuracy. That said, the mystery just wasn‘t interesting. I should‘ve known that if @ferskner wasn‘t a fan, I should skip.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a wild life! From unexpectedly being discovered, to pop culture icon, to activist, and so on. Pamela recounts all the pivotal points of her life thus far, and calls herself out on bad decisions. There are many, but that‘s human. Unsurprisingly, Kid Rock sounds awful. She‘s a reader and a poet, and surprised me in the most interesting ways.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Realizing Paris Hilton and I are the same age threw me for a loop! Time perspective is a weird thing. Add me to the list of folks pleasantly surprised / impressed by this memoir. Sure there‘s a lot about being a young, beautiful socialite, but much focus is on her experiences in “troubled teen” facilities. Her willingness to fight against this screwed up industry is admirable and so important! Solid celebrity memoir.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More adventures with Phoebe and Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. Love their sweet and funny friendship! Always worthwhile lessons among the silliness. Always lots of sparkles.

“Somewhere outside Nashville” - this could be near me! 😂

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Slytherin and a Beavis and Butthead fan? Did we just become best friends? In addition to Felton‘s early life, there‘s a ton of wonderful on-set info and fellow cast member stories / descriptions. I don‘t think I realized just how young the stars were in the first film. Emma Watson was only nine! Thank you for being the baddie at Hogwarts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Love Principal Gerry (pronounced like “Gary,” it turns out) Brooks‘s videos! This expansion on his social media success is a great read for both educators and parents. Thoughtful, funny, and full of useful advice. Definitely go for the audio, as he narrates perfectly.

⭐️⭐️ It pains me to slam a #CoHo book, but this was so dumb. I loved the idea of BFFs Hoover and Fisher alternating writing chapters, building the story on the fly. It sounds so fun, but this story isn‘t interesting nor believable, and has no real resolution. The writing is marginal at best and goes on for all eternity. Edit that shit down! What a waste of time and $15. #thankunext

My IRL #bookclub met today to discuss Daisy Jones. Most were pretty meh about it. I was relieved because I felt the same when I read it in 2019.

Always a fun time meeting up with this group - local moms who met through our shared love of stories! We are very good at picking books apart! 😂

🎧🐾 3-mile greenway walk with my boy this morning. Loving this memoir so far!

#dogsoflitsy

Rainy soccer practice means I‘m sitting in my warm, dry car listening to a book and having snacks. 😂 Not too sure about this story, but these almonds are perfection.

Up before the family relaxing with the savanna as my backdrop. Loving Animal Kingdom Lodge! 🦒🌿

#springbreak

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Admittedly, I bought this for the gorgeous cover! This debut novel from French Korean Dusapin is a brief translated work depicting Korean life in an off-season tourist town. Our unnamed narrator becomes fascinated with a Frenchman staying in the guesthouse she runs. They visit touristy sights together. They‘re both artists, though she feels trapped into Korean cultural norms. My favorite scenes were with her fishmonger mother.

⭐️ The Sequel Worth Skipping. If you can suspend a good amount of belief, you‘ll like this, but if you‘re like me (sorry), this was pretty dumb. And I have a rule about books with pointless fictional school shootings. It‘s absolutely tasteless, especially in this ridiculous context. There‘s no space for that shit in my reading life. I‘ll never read Swanson again. #thankunext