This was DELIGHTFUL. I read a library copy, but intend to acquire my own. I want my daughter to have it to read when she‘s old enough to understand cultural & historical context, as well moral ambiguity. The women in this collection were truly brazen. Courageous and determined across the board, but not always kind or honest. (Murder was involved at times, as in this illustration.) I loved reading about them.

Isla Fisher was a soap opera star and YA author in her pre-Wedding Crashers days? Who knew? (Maybe Australians!)

So excited to finally get my hands on this novel! Any book that starts off like this is bound to be fun. 🎩👀

Las Mariposas, heroes of the Dominican Republic. This book and its artwork are 🔥🔥🔥

Wow, this was astonishing. I understand the love/hate reactions it engenders, but I am very much on the love side. I‘m hard to scare, so any book that genuinely unsettles me is automatically a winner in my mind. My husband came to bed last night and found me practically incoherent, trying to explain what I had just read. So glad there is a full podcast episode dedicated to this novel, and helping me wrap my head around wtf is going on here. 🙃😅😰

Coming super late to this party because I didn‘t think graphic novels were my thing. Persepolis was my first. (I admired it more than I enjoyed it.) Saga was my second. This is much more my speed. Intense, funny, imaginative, poignant, STRANGE, rather terrifying. I mean, look at this picture. It‘s weird. (With much more sex and bloodshed than I was expecting. I‘m cool with it though.) Vol. 2 on its way to my doorstep as we speak.

This one‘s tricky. I really liked it, read it quickly, and have the next one already checked out from the library. But it was annoying in a lot of ways. (An absurd backstory and REALLY bad attempts at writing dialect come to mind.) But I like time travel novels in general, which by nature requires a certain tolerance for nonsense. I‘m hoping that the next in the series was written with a little more finesse, but prob not. I will read it anyway.

Teen slasher flicks are pretty much not a thing anymore, so it was kinda fun and nostalgic (two words I feel weird about using in reference to murder, but you know what I mean, I hope) to revisit the genre with this book. Silly, gory, old school, but also very current in that it addresses racial identity, bullying, trans teens, sex positivity, and other topical issues. Not too shabby!

I don‘t quite know what to say about this book; please pardon the brain vomit. I found it to be funny, terrifying, and poignant. It was a harrowing read. A cautionary tale. A beautiful love story. It reminded me of Bel Canto. The ending was a good one, but I‘m not happy with it. I truly love some of the characters. Heroism figured in here in both large and small ways, as did hubris & cowardice & kindness. I will be thinking about this a while.

I am having SO MUCH FUN with this book! You don‘t need to be a megafan to enjoy. I‘m a bit of a Star Trek rube (I‘ve only seen a little of TNG as a kid, plus the first film of the most recent reboot), and I‘m getting such a kick out of it. I don‘t want it to end. 👽🤩

This book is interesting because I quite liked it - didn‘t *love* it - but it really got under my skin while I was reading it. In a good way. It‘s spooky, atmospheric, and has a bonkers ending. It‘s on my mind because I saw the trailer for the film adaptation today. (https://youtu.be/ASR04zW4K8w ) This would be good for people who‘d enjoy a more moldering, depressing, possibly ghost-infested version of Downton Abbey.

Need to take a moment to appreciate the badassery of this.

I didn‘t think a YA Wonder Woman novel would be my thing, but it has rave reviews so I picked it up on a whim. And it is delightful. (And only $11 at Costco! 😉)

This scratched all kinds of itches for me: Mystery, suspense, some horror elements, a little social commentary, a dark, twisted dash of Goonies-like misadventure. Some great twists, including one that was genuinely creeptastic. Can‘t believe this is a debut; will anxiously await this author‘s next one! (Serious question, though: What the heck is this imagery on the cover and how does it pertain to the story? 🤔)

This book was fascinating & horrifying, and must have been tremendously painful for Lake to relive. I think she is in a unique position to share insights about the era, because her parents were hippies with a capital H, but more of the idealistic and myopic sort, while Manson represents the darkness of the counterculture. Lake has an intimate knowledge of both. I believe she is a victim, & have no qualms about reading or recommending her story.

This novel is flawed. Some character choices were inexplicable, the pacing was problematic (the first third was way slow) and I found it strangely hard to follow at times. Yet I love the concept of this series; it has a truly great narrative foundation. I am fascinated by this trio of deadly queens. I alternate between loving and loathing each of them. Can‘t wait for the next in the series and the forthcoming novellas!

A tiny human beastie and two of my favorite canine beasts. (One is still very much in the Halloween spirit.) #BeastsBoxGiveaway @ruthemmielang

‘‘Tis the season. 🍂🍁🍂

John Vaillant has a really intense, wonderful style. Just look at this description of the Amur tiger. I‘ve never read a more lovely and frightening description of an animal.

I love books in all their forms. Reading on a tablet is nifty because when your infant falls asleep in your lap as the sun is going down, you don‘t have to disturb him to turn on a light. Let the reading continue! (In the dark.)

My two favorite reads of October. #BlackWhiteandRead #Giveaway @hermyknee

Snagged this from my dad, and wow is it good so far! A classic Man vs. Nature tale with a healthy dose of insight into East Russian culture & socioeconomics.

Uprooted is at the top of my TBR pile. So excited to start. Feeling serious envy for this gorgeous alternate cover though! #GIVEAWAYFAIRYTALES @Liberty

I enjoy this book while it‘s in my hands, but it‘s taken me literally over half a year to finish it. What‘s the deal? It ends TONIGHT.

A new acquisition; too intrigued by this concept to not check it out. #GIVEAWAYNEW @Liberty

David Sedaris + Christmas = Perfection #GIVEAWAYHOLIDAYS @Liberty

After hearing about this essay collection on All the Books! I knew I had to check it out. The intersection of pop culture and feminism is one of my sweet spots. But I found this collection to be too self-serious for my taste. I prefer my feminist essays more in the earnest, down-to-earth, hilarious Lindy West/Caitlin Moran vein. But it was a worthwhile if not entirely enjoyable read, with lots of good food for thought. #GIVEAWAYREALTALK @Liberty

This cheerful group of Russian students perished on a hiking expedition in 1959. The baffling circumstances surrounding their deaths have transfixed many people over the years, including myself. The author presents the facts with great clarity and respect for the deceased, and offers a well-researched and convincing theory of what happened during the “Dyatlov Pass Incident.” This book is interesting, frightening, & deeply sad. An excellent read.

This was a good one. Unexpected, smart, unique. Also incredibly tense and disturbing at times. And an embarrassment of riches for people who enjoy interesting villains. As with any story built upon a complex, strange, highly unlikely scenario, there are aspects of this book that defy belief and don‘t hold up to much scrutiny. I‘m hoping for a sequel nonetheless. #botm

This was hard! I love all of the above. But in my mind you can‘t beat a good old-fashioned haunted house ghost story. And my current favorite scary book isn‘t so much scary as it is spooky - The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones. I‘ve seen mixed reviews, but I adored it. So atmospheric and even a little fun. 👻💀🖤 #boobooks

My favorite thing about summer is staying in to eat ice cream and read about serial killers instead of going outside.

This book gets a radioactive filter. And on a day that I have been peed on multiple times, including on my face (thanks to a newborn baby boy), it's useful to remember that at least I'm not ingesting radium on the regular.

A young Carrie Fisher's diary or Taylor Swift lyrics? Harry Styles ain't got nothing on Harrison Ford, then or now. This is such a strange little book, one that makes me glad to not be 19 anymore.

I'd really like to start skimming, but since I'm listening on Audible I'm sticking with it. This book is not what I thought it would be. I'm only really interested when he uses his experiences as a springboard for a wider cultural conversation, which happens far less than the description and subtitle would suggest. And the narration is not great. It reminds me of listening to someone read an exceptionally long personal essay out loud in class. 😕

Summer reading in full swing ☀️☀️☀️