I'm SO behind that I'm STILL catching up on my 2024 reviews 😬 This book was one of the weirdest ones that I read last year. I didn't find it to be funny, quirky, or witty. I was interested enough to keep reading, but in the same way that I hate-watch reality tv. It wasn't horribly written, I just didn't care for the plot, characters, or dialogue. The ending was abrupt with a whole lot of buildup that lead nowhere. Not my cup of tea 🤷🏾‍♀️

Greetings Littens! It's been a while since I've checked in. I've been spending more time out in the real world and less time online. But still lots of reading so lots to catch up on. To continue where I left off in December, the tagged book is another Spanish one I read on my solo trip to Mexico. Even though I highlighted a lot of vocab I didn't know, this was a very easy story to follow. One I could see myself reading over and over.

"El ojo que ves no es
ojo porque tú lo veas;
es ojo porque te ve.

Para dialogar,
preguntad, primero:
después...escuchad.

Busca a tu complementario,
que marcha siempre contigo
y suele ser tu contrario."

My 14th #Spanishbook

"In Andalusia people say of certain toreos and flamenco artists that they have duende - an inexplicable power of attraction, the ability, on rare occaision, to send waves of emotion through those watching and listening to them."

My 13th #spanishbook

A bit long winded and pretentious at times, I overall enjoyed this book that goes back and forth in time, examining history, culture, class, race, and language in Mexico and the U.S. Based on the author's experience of struggling with his identity as a Mexican-born man going to school abroad, dating a spanish speaking White American woman. Mostly English with lots of Spanish throughout, this is my 12th #spanishbook

Happy New Year Littens! It's been a while since I've posted but I have been reading so I have lots of reviews to catch up on. Just wanted to stop by and say Hi 👋🏾 as the reality of the end of the holidays and the start of a new year sets in, I will slowly start to catch up on posting reviews and writing #litsylove letters. Here's a rare picture of me out in the wild, on a recent solo trip to 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇲🇽

The only "on theme" book I read during spooky season. But it was a good one! I knew I was going to like it because I liked Tender is the Flesh. Listening to the audio certainly enhanced the creep factor. Some parts were laugh out loud funny....though I'm not sure if they're supposed to be or not ? The story about the murderous cat was my favorite ??

I related to Meredith sooo much. We get to see her develop from being content with her agoraphobia to stepping out of her comfort zone and challenging herself in different ways to shake up her routine. We slowly learn through flashbacks the trauma that lead up to her shutting herself inside. Even though this has nothing to do with the pandemic, I found it relatable to how I lived my life during and after the pandemic. Good for Sally Rooney fans.

One of my favorite reads of the year ? This starts off as an office comedy but slowly turns into a drama with just a splash of romance as the main character desperately tries to save her job (which she hates) after a series of ridiculous and preventable mishaps at work. Beautifully narrated by Nasim Pedrad.

Lots of funny lines about office life throughout. One of my faves: "I spend my days off recuperating and forgetting my days on" ??

I didn't care for this book and I wouldn't recommend it. But I came across this quote in one of the stories that I think sums up why the author wrote it.

"I wrote stories I wish I had read...that I'd never read and was unlikely to because they were too controversial, violent, or shocking..they all contained more than a grain of truth. They were grounded in my experiences, insights, study, and what I knew or felt to be right and true. My truth."

I didn't like this as much as Princess Diarist, but I still love Carrie Fisher and would like to read all of her other books. This was a bit chaotic. Mostly centering on an actress and her life during her time in rehab, and immediately after. It was entertaining enough to keep me engaged throughout, but I don't feel the need to read it again 🤷🏾‍♀️

Another 5 star travel memoir! She makes it clear she wants to have kids someday, but she's not in a rush to settle down like all her friends. She's more determined to sow her wild oats first and this book details those stories. Some were funny, some romantic, all inspiring. Perfect read before my solo trip to Hawaii. I loved hearing about her "vacationships" and unexpected experiences and I love the message of travel as "life changing medicine" ?

Adding this to my growing list of disappointing travel memoirs. Partially because I read it immediately after How to Live Free in a Dangerous World, one of my favorites reads of the year, it was hard not to compare the two. The author of this book seems like one of those typical Americans who travels to places solely to say he traveled there. He didn't seem to care much about the cultures or the experiences, just checking places off his list 🙄

I've been trying to find good "travel memoirs" all year and kept getting disappointed. THIS BOOK HIT THE SPOT! She doesn't just talk about the places she's been to as a tourist, but makes personal connections to each place that I felt lacked in the other travel memoirs. I recommend the audio to hear the depth and emotion as the author transports you to Amsterdam, Venice, Cairo, Kyoto, Shanghai, Lisbon, Mexico City, Venice, and Bermuda. Inspiring!

One of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. This was set up more like a podcast, with a theme song, background music, interviews, reenactments, etc., that really immerse the reader in the material. Gladwell pulls together real life hard to believe stories of famously 'misunderstood' people from monsters like Hitler to victims like Sandra Bland, making controversial connections that make you think about how quick we all are to judge 🎧

I liked this but didn't love it. Maybe because it's an election year, I was craving some D.C. stories. I had binge watched and rewatched some of my favorite shows like West Wing and Veep, and started some I'd never seen like Designated Survivor and Scandal, but just couldn't get enough. So I listened to this audiobook and it hit the spot. Not as many Obama anecdotes as I was expecting, but a nice little sneak peak into the author's experience.

One of the best books I read so far this year. I understand why I had to wait 10 weeks for my hold to come in on Libby! Brooks combines personal anecdotes with other people's stories and observations to show how we can deepen our connections with people, whether we know them or not. In this day and age, where divorce rates are high, work is hybrid, learning is online, and politics divide, this book is especially relevant 🧩🎧

I got this book as an ARC several years ago and I'm glad to finally have it off my shelves. It was ok but not worth keeping or rereading. The author is an Irish comedian who wrote some essays mostly about her observations as an immigrant in this country. She was kinda funny but nothing really stood out to me. Pictured with the puzzle I just completed after several weeks. My next 4 reviews will be books I listened to while working on it 🧩💚

Another meh audiobook. I think I would have appreciated this more before I started on my mindfulness journey. I think this is geared more towards people who are addicted to Instagram and/or dealing with impostor syndrome. I don't fall into either of those categories so not the intended audience. I enjoyed the author's little nuggests of peaceful, positive thinking, but nothing really stood out as remarkable about this.

I think I loved this more than the first. Probably because I read the other in print and listened to the audio this time around. Hearing both Lacey and Amber tell their stories (and sing their songs) felt like they were in the room with me just talkin. 4 out of 5 stars because it could use some editing and feels more like recorded conversations than a book, but the content is hilarious, sad, infuriating, and most of all IM👏🏾POR👏🏾TANT👏🏾

This was an ok book. I've been practicing yoga daily for the last 4 years and it's done wonders for my mental health but I haven't seen the results I want physically. I've been stepping up my routine a bit with weights, cardio, getting my steps in, etc. I thought this book would help motivate me to push myself more but not so much. I think it's more geared toward people looking to START exercising. I learned a bit from it though so not all bad.

I admit it took me several months to get through this. But only because I designated it as my book to read while I on my lunchbreak at work from the office once a week, not because it was boring. Not scary per se, definitely some gory scenes, and the vivid nightmares and hallucinations throughout were creepy. Overall an entertaining book and I liked it enough to read more by this author. I think this would make an excellent tv/movie adaption 👻

This wasn't as good as I thought it would be but definitely original and the more I read the more depth I saw and found myself drawn into the story. I love that we see the story not just from Alejandra's perspective, but her ancestor's, her therapist's, and even the creature who haunts Alejandra. This book is about generational trauma, mental health, forming an identity outside of our family, and so much more. Paired with a colorful puzzle🎧 🧩

This is one of those books I think is I better listening to because of Whoopi's unique voice. I know Whoopi from some of her movies but never knew anything about her personal life. This was very insightful, not just because of her musings on her memories of her mother and brother but because of her perspective on life and death after losing them both. Good for Whoopi fans and for people grieving the loss of a loved one 🎧

Thanks so much for the surprise goodies @catiewithac
You have spoiled me and enabled my puzzle addiction! I'm especially looking forward to the bookish one 🥰 I will write you a marathon letter eventually 😅

Another romance! I didn't love this one as much as Dani Brown but it was a solid 4 star read. Mickey is unhappy at her university job so she starts working at a bar for extra money. The owner of the bar, Diego, is unhappy and widowed until he meets Mickey who shakes things up in his life in unexpected ways. Their banter and the 🌶 scenes weren't my favorite but it was overall a very cute read, would recommend 💜🧡

I keep surprising myself by reading and enjoying romance. I loved this 2nd installment even more than the 1st (Chloe Brown). I love that Dani is big, bi, and a bit witchy. I love how confident she is, and I love her rapport with Zaf. Zaf was such a good male lead, a lovable grump with a soft side. His character reminded me so much of Roy Kent, I hope there's an adaption one day so that Brett Goldstein can play him 🥰

Not the kind of thing I'd recommend to everyone, but if you're considering "putting yourself out there" and feeling unsure, this book can serve as a nice little pep talk from an expert that could help ease your mind and know what to expect. I was already thinking about dating again for the first time in 4 years when I started this. It made me feel better about that decision and now I'm happily dating and feeling better about it than ever before ?

This book started out promising but overall fell flat for me. She spent not enough time talking about the interesting places she went to and way too much time blowing really small stories out of proportion. Like how she clogged a toilet in New York, how her husband threw a tantrum because he was asked to check his luggage and decided not to go to Paris, and how she peed all over a bathroom in Spain because she was overcharged for tapas 🙄

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I did not care for these poems. I remember liking his famous "The Road Not Taken" when I had to read it in school, but that was the only Robert Frost poem I knew until reading this collection. Aside from one or two, I found these poems very dry and boring, and I couldn't connect to anything in them. Just not my cup of tea.

Based off of the author's real life, this fictional story of a woman stuck in a journalism career in the states, traveling to her mother's homeland of Colombia was a good one start to finish! She gains insights into her mother, her family, her culture, her career, and herself. I love that the story was partly told through her mother's old diary entries. Mostly in English with lots of Spanish throughout, I'm counting this as my 11th #spanishbook 🎧

This was beautiful, deep, sad, harsh, and inspiring. I related to some of it as a brown girl with sharp edges and a tender heart 💔 but I read most of this as an outsider looking in to the author's unique experience as a Nicaraguan American woman. Some parts focused on her time in academia, some on her relationships with her family and others, all of it eye opening and deeply personal. Mostly in English but lots of Spanish throughout💙 🇳🇮💙

Everyone should read this book! We could all stand to learn more about friendships, the different kinds that exist, how to make them, maintain them, and the value of them. This was very well written, included a lot of real world examples and was thoroughly researched. I didn't know anything about the author going into it but learning that it was written by a black woman was the cherry on top 💜

After 15 years of living in Sacramento I've been noticing lately that I have a love/hate relationship with my city. I've lived here longer than any where else. I have a lot of memories here, but I don't see myself putting down roots, or growing old here. Reading this book was eye opening and inspiring. A mix of personal anecdotes and research, the author gives lots of examples of how one can actively learn to love where they live.

I'm behind on reviews so time to catch up! It was the sheer amount of positive reviews on here that convinced me to take a chance with this, and I'm glad I did! Romance is not my fave genre, but after reading Get a Life Chloe Brown last year, I'm trying to branch out and read a bit more, especially the ones written by black authors with black characters. I loved how relatable the characters were and that the steamy scenes weren't over the top 🎧

This wasn't something I'd normally read but I'm glad I did. I loved Queenie so much that I chose this shortly after because it was written by the same author. When Dimple finds herself in a sticky situation, she calls her half sister for help, who then calls their other half siblings, and craziness follows that fateful night. For a book with such a dark beginning it had a surprisingly happy ending. Would recommend audio over print 🧩🎧

I loved Queenie way more than I was expecting to. It had been on my radar for years mostly because the cover 🤩 but also because people seem to love or hate it. It was more sad than funny, but humourous at times. Queenie makes some bad decisions that put her in some bad circumstances, but ultimately I felt for her. I could relate to some of the trauma she experienced and some of the ways she acted out in response. I was hooked start to finish 🎧🧩

I mostly hated this. I loved Rooney's other 2 books but this one did not sit well with me. Mostly centered around an affair between a handsome actor and a young college girl. I was mildly intrigued by one character's struggle with endometriosis but it was such a disappointingly small part of the story. It's a so-so because it still illicted a strong reaction out of me, even though it was a negative one, so I'm still a fan of her writing 😆

Thanks to @britt_brooke for your review that convinced me to give this book a try. I'm so glad I did because even though the main character is an immature, self-involved, "garbage tornado" and an unreliable narrator, the messes she kept getting into and her cynical, dramatic, bleak observations about her life as a 20 something divorcee trying to get her ? together was absolutely hilarious ??

This book didn't focus on stories about women who were happy to be childfree by choice (like me) but it did contain a lot of stories about women all along the spectrum of not having children. Some by choice, some by chance, some happy about their situation, some unhappy. I was shocked by some of the anecdotes in here, even entertained by some of them. Overall, it was a very informative read with a good mix of situations represented 🎧🧩

This was exactly what I needed. I'm a night owl who works 12:30pm-9:30pm the majority of the year. But I'm trying to change my ways and become more of a morning person to take advantage of those extra hours in the a.m. This book contains several interviews with different successful people about their routines. The gist is, what works for some doesn't work for all, but find a routine that works for you and be consistent. Very inspiring 🎧🧩

#spanishbook #9 - This was a Christmas gift from a coworker. Not the kinda thing I'd pick for myself at my current level of spanish (your girl just enrolled in an online advanced spanish conversation lab 🤓) because it's a very basic guidebook for beginners. But it was fun, and I did highlight some new words here and there. And I love adding reference books to my little collection 🥰

First book of the new year 🎉 Too bad it wasn't a hit 😕 I wanted to like this sooo much more than I did. She briefly mentions some of her travels but the focus is more on her relationship woes and dreams of being a writer. This reads like a worshipper of Bourdain, Gilbert, and Strayed who traveled just so she could write about her experiences, but she didn't say much about what those experiences were. I was a wee but inspired, so not all bad ✈️

This was a good, inspiring book to get me into a decluttering mindset. The author blogged about her 1 year shopping ban, but left out a lot of the personal turmoil. She includes all of the messy bits in this book. She examines not just her habits but triggers for overspending as well binge eating, binge drinking, and binge tv watching. I love stories like this, flaws and all, where people choose to challenge themselves by becoming more mindful 💚

I was expecting this to be a bit dry but it was surprisingly funny and engaging. I will need a physical copy at some point because I can see myself reading it over and over everytime I start to learn a new language (I'm a wannabe polyglot) but listening to it did have some advantages because he gives very specific pronunciation examples. Chock full of resources and language learning advice as well as his own experience and specific study methods.

After the last book I read, I was in the mood for a real Sally Rooney book and this one hit the spot. I know she's not everyone's cup of tea, but since I really liked Normal People, I really liked this one. It was similar, but with more characters and a little bit more depth in the form of deep, introspective emails between the 2 girls, I liked this one more. They're not the most likeable characters but I find their interactions entertaining.

I needed a break after reading so much nonfiction and poetry, so decided to choose a random fiction to listen to as I audiopuzzled. The description of this one reminded me of Normal People, in the sense that it followed a group of friends over the years and examines how a series of small decisions make long lasting effects on their lives as their friendships/relationships develop. Nothing too deep here, but entertaining enough.

This was such a refreshing perspective on the minimalist movement! It was great to hear her personal story, and how she tried different things that didn't work before going about it in her own way. Encouraging authenticity over aesthetics, I loved her gentle approach to the movement. She also I includes her own 'guiding lights' instead of strict rules, and excerpts from other afrominis.
?"I am not a grown woman, I'm a GROWING woman"?

Great idea for a collection of poems and stories about the night, but a disappointing execution. This read like a project compiled by a college student who, well, burnt the midnight oil, pulled an all nighter and haphazardly tossed a bunch of things together. Some of the stories and poems were ok and on theme, but a lot of them seemed random, nothing to do with the night and overall a boring selection. But glad to finally get this off my shelves🌛

#spanishbook #8- 2024 will be my 4th consecutive year of immersing myself on the way to fluency, and I've built up a nice little collection of libros en español. One of my reading goals for the new year is to read more of them!
"Ríete de este torpe
muchacho que te quiere,
pero cuando yo abro
los ojos y los cierro,
cuando mis pasos van,
cuando vuelven mis pasos,
niégame el pan, el aire,
la luz, la primavera,
pero tu risa nunca
porque me moriría"