I really enjoyed this! Light on plot but rich in detail about everyday life in a beautifully supportive yet deeply restrictive and crushingly patriarchal religious commune setting. Contemplative and nerdily verbose, and somehow also hilarious! Ruth is ever observant and curious and questioning and I loved her. Grateful for a copy of this from Riverhead and also did some of it via audio since Rebecca Lowman is such a great narrator.

Nothing like finding the latest from one of your favorite childhood home state authors in your faraway neighborhood LFL. 🩷 #Wisconsin #California

Great read that confronts patriarchy in families, communities, and the church head on. Strong sense of time and place with plenty of charm and humor amidst the tension and heartbreak. Loved the narration by personal faves Bahni Turpin and Dion Graham, as well as Andre Giles and Angel Pean (who were less familiar to me, but I see Angel's performed lots of titles on my TBR - time to add her to the search-by-narrator list!).

Catching up on my #AuldLangSpine recs from…2024! 😆 Thank you, @Deblovestoread - this one was outstanding. I‘d been happy to see Rebecca Wait on your list because she seems so beloved here on Litsy. I now see why. Loved the writing, and these characters will stay with me.

I like Chris Hayes as a TV anchor, but I *really* like him as an author and audiobook narrator. (A Colony in a Nation was also great.) I‘d recommend this book to anyone interested in the challenges of attention in our media/info-oversaturated age (and especially to anyone who, like me, just can‘t with Jonathan Haidt‘s work). Hayes is VERY grounded in sociology here, which made me very happy.

I read so much about White Christian nationalism but missed this one back when it came out, even though I respect the author from his podcast. Really well done. A lot of basics re: the history of the Religious Right, but I especially appreciated his deeper dive into the SoCal influence on that (which I suppose I would, given that I live there, but I think it‘s interesting regardless!).

I loved this just as I loved the gone-too-soon Somebody Somewhere: very, very much. Like the show, this was hilarious, frank, sweet, sharp, and heartwarming. The perfectly performed audiobook (again, like the show) had me laughing out loud frequently and tearing up, too. I'm sure he's a long shot, but I SO wish Hiller would win the Emmy for which he's nominated. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic! I loved the MC Doris's voice as much as that of any character I've encountered in a long time. And Bahni Turpin's narration was of course perfect. The interweaving of historical events and figures, in all their complexity, was done really well, I think. And the matter-of-factness around abortion was (way more) refreshing (than it should feel in 2025).

Glad to finally know why that bird is on the cover!! 😆

Liked this overall and in the end found it more moving than I thought I would halfway through. Looking forward to Saturday's chat!

So pleased about this exceptionally good recent Dollar Tree find, because it reminded me that I really love listening to cookbook audiobooks while referencing the print copy. I know listening to recipes read aloud isn‘t for everyone, but it is for me! And Nigella has to be one of the very best at making that compelling. This was a great reading experience and I can‘t wait to try many of the recipes.

Oh how I would‘ve loved to have known this man! I teared up while reading this. 🥹💙

Gift link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/books/man-died-book-list-thousands.html?unloc...

His list: https://what-dan-read.com

Link to the recording of the book talk with Emily St. James that I‘d posted about last week - it was delightful (as is she!): https://youtu.be/oqRAV4GJQNY
#CampLitsy25

An impulse listen and uncommon genre choice for me, but I‘m always here for a sharp yet empathetic critique of #tradwife culture! 😆 And I‘ve enjoyed the author as a podcast guest before. This was a fun, sometimes bonkers read with pleasing narration, and I flew through it.

Seems like a cool event (tomorrow) with many spots available. I loved this book so much and can‘t wait to discuss this weekend! #CampLitsy25

https://writer.org/event/emily-st-james/

What a fierce, funny, *very* frank writer. A memorable passage about RBF:

“This is the same reason I developed resting bitch face. Some people perceive this phenomenon as some sort of curse, a misfortune. They miss the point, don't understand that it can be a weapon, a face carved from years of harassment and unwanted attention. I'm aware that I have it, and I don't apologize for it.“

Worth checking content warnings if you avoid certain topics.

What a stunner. I loved this (and as a latecomer to Vuong am resisting the urge to just launch right into his memoir!). So much to praise here - of course the writing, incredible characters, and a fantastic setting. I especially loved everything about the restaurant where Hai worked - certainly the found family aspect, but all else, too, including the industrial food details (maybe because my first job was in small-town fast food?).

I really enjoyed this and am glad to have learned more about a lesser-known part of American history. Both timelines explored complex family relationships and nicely balanced the hard times with the heartwarming. Lovely audio narration, too. Must go back and read Take My Hand soon!

Good July 4th thoughts, I think. ❤️‍🩹

Another wonderful, informative graphic novel from George Takei and his talented team. Like They Called Us Enemy, this is a hard read at times due to personal and historical challenges he covers, but it‘s also full of his dearness and humor. I learned new things about his activism and political career. This is a powerful portrayal of the inhumanity of forcing people to hide who they are (one that shouldn‘t be so relevant today).

Due to an especially busy and draining spring semester, I didn't read nearly as much from @monalyisha ‘s #AuldLangSpine list as I would have liked in January/the first half of 2025. Hoping to make up for that in the second! This was so lovely. 💚 Many standout essays, and even though it‘s summer where I am, somehow the winter ones resonated most strongly, I think because of the moral winter we‘re living through right now. 😞

Really enjoyed this! Strong historical parallels, great MC and some memorable supporting ones, and I loved the Montana and SF settings. Plus I appreciated the writing and the audio narration as much as (even more than?) any of these.

This was great! There‘s a lot going on - the pandemic, social media influencing, communal living, a MAGA sister, sometimes spicy polyamory, many goats, generational differences re: social justice work, kooky TV adaptations, critiques of capitalism, and plenty of hilarious hijinks. And of course Alison Bechdel makes it all work with her brilliant writing and drawing.

An uplifting and inspiring read for today, especially when paired with the really well-produced audiobook. #Juneteenth

I had a mountain of grading to do tonight when my reluctant reader came into my office wanting to sit and read to me all 600+ names of the animals in this (ADORABLY illustrated!) book. The choice was clear. 🤷‍♀️

Pure magic! This book brought me so much joy during an over-the-top busy week and was the perfect thing to pull me away from the over-the-top awful daily news. I might love this as much as Rabbit Cake (though RC is due a reread). I fell hard for these characters (Pancakes the most but all the rest, too) and will never tire of Hartnett‘s blend of whimsy, tenderness, and just the right amount of darkness. A (maybe THE) fave of the year for sure.

Another pick from Marcy Dermansky for me! I set this one aside for a bit after not quite loving the beginning/premise but grew to really like it. Themes of motherhood, privilege, greed, and wanting run deep beneath the surface silliness of some aspects of the story (and I ended up enjoying the silliness, too).

I adored this. The characters and their messiness and growth, the Midwest setting, and so much sweetness and humor (alongside plenty of complex issues, painful moments, and emotional depth that felt really authentic) made this such a joy to read. Even when a few plot turns strained credulity, I quickly came around to loving those choices made by St. James (whose work I've appreciated since her A.V. Club days!). Fantastic audio, too.

Unintentionally color-coordinated birthday impromptu Dollar Tree book haul! (Truest birthday wish: more time and bandwidth for reading them/enjoying all of my bookish pastimes! 🙃)

Wow, 9 years!! 😮 It‘s such a gift to connect with you all here. This joyful space has been there for us through some very interesting times, hasn‘t it? Looking forward to many more happy moments here!

Thought I should get this off the ol' TBR before checking out Wild Dark Shore. WOW - fantastic. Emotionally engaging, deep in its themes/messages, and riveting in a would‘ve-stayed-up-'til-3-AM-to-finish-if-my-body-let-me sort of way. A top read of 2025 so far for sure.

Adored this and found it a perfect and much-needed escape from reality! I especially loved that Linda Holmes narrated the audio version herself. My favorite of her three novels so far!

Thinking I may need to shift to books that are about escaping our current reality, as I keep reading the opposite and it‘s heavy. 🙃 But this is a good one, by a well-known sociologist (still doing vital work in her mid-eighties!) and based on ethnographic research where she deeply studies and truly listens to those whom we might perceive as voting against their own interests. A powerful takeaway is Hochschild‘s assertion that many (who ⬇️

This is a really accessible yet info-packed read that I'd certainly recommend to anyone hoping to learn more about the history of White Christian Nationalism (which I wish wasn't yet again/still/[endlessly?!] such an urgent social problem, but here we are 🙃). Jemar Tisby is excellent wherever he writes/presents his ideas, including his Substack (jemartisby.substack.com). He narrates the audio beautifully, too.

While it took me a second to get into this one, I ended up finding it a really affecting read and one that tells an important story about the impact of incarceration on partners, families, and communities. I enjoyed Harris's writing (especially in the latter 50-75%) and thought she did a great job of blending memoir and sociological analysis (one of my favorite things to find in nonfiction).

So grateful that horrible and heartbreaking January is over! 😫 A bright spot in mine, though, was listening to this, which is every bit as wise and inspiring as you would imagine. I really liked the structure and how it blended memoir, reflection, and stories of other brave folks. The audio was beautifully narrated by the author. Reading this soothed me and made me more hopeful.

I was so bummed to not finish this in time during #CampLitsy and therefore was thrilled to see it on @monalyisha‘s #AuldLangSpine list; will now have to go back and read the discussion that I missed! I found this very emotionally engaging, and the writing had me vividly picturing characters, setting, and scenes throughout. Have the film rights to this been purchased? 🤔 Would be great on screen.

Liked this one a lot! Though it pleased me perfectly well as a quirky, maybe-unlikable-but-also-relatable characters + marriage/family story, I thought it was also sneakily deep in its engagement with social issues, including race, culture, and politics.

Another gem found in a neighborhood #LittleFreeLibrary ! I‘d never even heard of this one, but if Everett writes it I will read it. Grateful today to be outside in the currently fresh air in San Diego, even as I‘m feeling so much sadness for our northern neighbors, including some good friends who lost family homes. 💔

What a very good book to start any year with (and this year in particular). So glad that @monalyisha added this 2024 reread of hers as a bonus to her #AuldLangSpine list! It found it delightful and comforting and really liked May‘s writing. Parts about night waking, hibernating, and singing were among my faves, and I loved the interludes about animals, insects, and birds. Great on audio but I look forward to a reread in print someday.

Fun #LittleFreeLibrary find in my neighborhood! Somehow I‘ve never heard of this book before, but it sounds right up my alley. The other picture is for @monalyisha , who asked me to share a photo of some scallop shell ornaments my husband and I made many years ago when we lived more in her neck of the woods. (An abalone one made it into the shot too; those are the best because the holes come naturally pre-drilled! 😄)

Very glad to have fit in this brilliant pick from @Deblovestoread ‘s #AuldLangSpine list! It was a brutal listen in some ways, between the violence, racism, painfully still relevant political references, and the constant use of the n word. Yet it was also really funny and clever and absorbing. And of course it was, because Everett wrote it. My third of his books this year and I can‘t wait to keep going.

Beyond excited to dig into the amazing @monalyisha 's #AuldLangSpine list in the new year! I've read (and largely loved) 6.5 (didn't finish Bear during #CampLitsy due to time, not disinterest!), including the tagged, which I read because it was on @Deblovestoread 's #AuldLangSpine list for 2024! 🦈❤️ Quite a few others were already on my TBR. Feeling lucky with these titles to choose from!

I loved this GBBO-inspired book so much!! The PERFECT cozy holiday read for me (it doesn‘t exclusively take place around the holidays, but the Christmas bits were great). Plentiful and detailed recipe descriptions and such a sweet story in all the ways. Great audio narration, too.

I‘m dreadfully late in posting about but extremely grateful for receiving this much longed-for book!!! 😍😍😍 I‘m a huge fan of Julia Turshen and can‘t wait to read this one cover to cover and then probably make practically every recipe in it because they will all be simple and delicious. Thank you SO much for your generosity, Danielle, and I hope you had a lovely Jokabokaflod!!! #JolabokaflodSwap

I've submitted grades for all the classes I teach (🎉 🥳 💃) and so am thrilled to be shifting focus to all things Christmas, festive, and fun!! One thing that buoyed me during these last few busy weeks was reading this fantastic pick from @Deblovestoread 's #AuldLangSpine list!!! It was so very good. I don't know what I thought this book was about, but it was nothing like what it really was about. A truly lovely read. Thanks, Deb!! ❤️

Received and sent my #JolabokaflodSwap packages over the past few days. This swap is such a blessedly reliable joybringer! Thanks as always to @MaleficentBookDragon . 💚❤️

Adored this and would put it right up there with the (many) other Erdrich books I've loved. Totally invested in the characters, loved the setting (time and place), and her writing just works for me every time.
This would absolutely have made my #AuldLangSpine list had I not finished it the day after filling out the form, @monalyisha !!

I love Clint Smith‘s writing. This includes some of his keen and straightforward social analysis, always with an eye on historical context. But also a lot of sweetness about young fatherhood.

One of the most meaningful, empowering, and visionary books I‘ve read in some time. It was in part a call to action re: 2016, so it‘s….super relevant. Valarie Kaur is an important voice for right now, and always. Looking forward to reading her recently published book soon (tagged in comment ⬇️).

I‘ve always liked Ina. I enjoyed watching a feminist perspective inform her personal and professional growth. But this is a light pick for me. I think I just wasn‘t the right reader for this book, at least not in this moment in time/history.
Further thoughts in spoiler comment below! Not spoilers per se, but I wouldn‘t want to mar anyone's experience of escaping into this one, as the food (and many other) aspects are delightful!