"... come to think of it, they might be FUELING gun crime, the fact that for all I know there may be perps getting ENERGISED by my pies, and comfort-eating them after they carry out there crimes, the fact that what if my cinnamon rolls have given some gunslinger the energy to, to shoot his wife or something, for no reason, the fact that that could be my new pie slogan, "The Family Annihilator's Reward," oh dear, for the love of Mike..."

"it's kind of like a sex guide written by David Attenborough, the fact that to get to the lilium phallowoppia, you nympho facto push past sprays of spermatozoa adorning banks of chastity beltia, culminating in a flopswear jettison at the summit of the mons veneris in a naughty... orgium of velvet chasms, breasts, chests, clefts..."

I did it! All 1000 pages of this chunky SoC "novel" about Trump-era America.

I'm guessing you all know my feelings already... if not, here's part 2 of my Reading Vlog.

TLDW: ?

https://youtu.be/7BOLGsUZLYM?feature=shared

I'm loving Instagram, but my book family is still here on Litsy.

You guys don't try to flog me slimming underwear everytime I check in 🤣🤣🤣

Not far from the finish line... and Love Island isn't on tonight, so I may get an extra hour in 🤣🤣

Zooms in on toebeans!

https://youtu.be/M94bjTZ-ieI?feature=shared

May's Illumicrate arrived finally! See inboxing vid above 💃💃💃💃

Pickles is loving the warmer weather.

#picklescat
#catsoflitsy

It sickens me how Britney was treated by the people who she should have been able to trust the most. It baffles me how they got away with it for so long. The second half of this book reads like a horror story.

As a memoir, this left a lot to be desired in terms of writing and organisation, but I'm glad that Britney has spoken her truth.

My heart goes out to her.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

See last 3 posts.

I am hoping that this book progresses in a way that makes it obvious that it's all social satire. Still... it's very hard to read these perspectives without wanting to have stern words with the various characters!

I can't say I concur, book!

WHAT THE HECK, BOOK?

Me reading Butter like... 😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐

When all of the books you're reading are conspiring to bum you out...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8ubn8DCFJd/?igsh=aHhiOTRleDN6aDRq

I have so much on my fantasy TBR... just want to take a year long holiday and read them all 💕💕

If you want to be buds on Instagram and you missed my last post, I'm @rae.lovestoread there (raelovestoread was taken 😭😭 haha)

This is one of those books that is funny until it's just plain depressing.

Aileen Barratt dissects Tinder toxicity with humour, precision, & no compromise. Mostly, this is an entertaining & validating book.

I don't agree with everything. (No one has a right to judge whether someone's reasons for not dating someone with kids or other characteristics is "valid". And "let's see what happens" is a perfectly reasonable) attitude.

Still... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The A to Z of Tinder misogyny.

I'm not on Tinder, but when I've done online dating in the past, the "No Timewasters" line makes my blood boil.

Aileen Barratt sums it up succinctly.

I think I'm going to go back to standing around looking enigmatic in bookshops and hoping to bump into a soulmate in the fantasy section ??

Lothlorien tealight holder 💕💕🧝🏼‍♂️🧝🏿‍♀️

https://youtu.be/R3XvuaSG9y0?feature=shared

Illumicrate June 2024 unboxing...

May's box still nowhere to be seen 😐

Enjoy! 😁

"The Stars are Blazing like Rebel Diamonds, cut out of the sun..."

Dream come true tonight. Finally got to see The Killers. Very emotional.

When he sung Be Still I got full-body goosebumps.

I'm speechless.

New books 💕

Drinks from Queer Lit, Manchester ❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

New video: Manchester book haul 💕💕

https://youtu.be/PuzsRWZvhdU?feature=shared

Bramble enjoying her box 😁 #catsofLitsy

CW: more flipping fatphobia

the fact that I'm starting to feel PERSONALLY VICTIMISED by the books I'm reading today

The. Body. Is. Not. An. Apology.

#5joysfriday @DebinHawaii @JenReadsAlot

1) Mr Yowly's ridiculous attempts at stealth (he snuck into our house to steal Pickles' breakfast)

2) Pancakes and bacon with extra maple syrup

3) Currently sat with a book haul in Waterstones Deansgate with a popcorn latte

4) In Manchester to see The Killers with @KirstyJW

5) Victoria sponge at House of Books & Friends

CW: Discussion of body weight

Even if this story turns out body positive ultimately, the above text refers to a woman who "looks around 70kg".

This woman is supposedly "huge" and so "fat" that a man can't understand why any man would want to marry her. Bonkers!

If I was to get to 70kg, you'd have to dissolve half my bone mass, and chop off a leg or two.

Numbers mean very little. Bodies differ massively. But still, this is difficult reading.

Started today. Won't be halfway through by Saturday, but hopefully I'll finish in time to discuss the weekend after #camplitsy24

I've finally joined Instagram (yes yes, I know I'm about a decade behind 🤣)

Not quite figured out how it all works yet, but it will be a very Books-centred affair.

Add me @rae.lovestoread

Can you believe somebody already nabbed @RaeLovesToRead 😱😱😭😭

Part 2/2 #lasttenbooks

Actually, in terms of books I passed on and then regretted it and bought a new copy of, the last one I re-bought was Station Eleven. They were changing the cover and I kinda liked the old one.

Also, I replaced my copy of A Little Life because I wanted the original UK cover before it became obsolete.

I'm always arguing about books, but I remember proper disagreements about Nod by Adrian Barnes at a book club long ago.

Great prompts @vivastory
Part 1/2 #lasttenbooks

Let me say this... once I've properly started a book, I hardly ever DNF it.

Swallows and Amazons is the exception.

Also, I didn't really "lie" about Harry Potter 5... I read most of it, but didn't finish in time for the film. Then I just... didn't bother with the rest. It's still on my Goodreads "read" shelf though...

Shame on me!!!!! Shame!!!!

Bad Rae Rae.

Bad BAD Rae Rae.

But it's so beautiful 🥰🥰🥰 and one of my fave series' 😄 I want to open it up and look at the end pages, but it's all wrapped so neatly!!

Me: I feel kinda guilty about posting that salty video yesterday... maybe I was too harsh...

Ducks: "people will wear bikinis
people who really should think twice about it"

Me: IT'S WAR

#ducksbuddyread

https://youtu.be/_I4rlxDY85A?feature=shared

Thoughts so far 😅

#ducksbuddyread

@slategreyskies I made a logo!

If anyone is interested in buddy reading the following books over the next few years, I'll be looking for company in my masochism.

Ulysses
Crime & Punishment
Infinite Jest
S. (Ship of Theseus)
Other exhausting book-mountains!!!

Who says reading has to be fun??

Join me!
#torturedpoetsbookclub

P.S. I am not reading House of Leaves again. The line has to be drawn somewhere.

People often ask, "is there anything less interesting than listening to other people recount their dreams?"

Yes. Reading a book where a pretend person recounts their dreams. At length.

This book isn't bad, but it really, really needs an editor.

This cheered me up.
By gmosley art 💕

#5joysfriday @DebinHawaii 💕

I've not had the best week, truth be told. BUT...

1) Furry loaf came to say hi

2) Plan on persuading my parents to let me get this chair

3) Experimented with the idea of illustrating my book myself... Hilarity ensued 🤣🤣

4) Lovely day with my friend Jue on Weds. Cake happened.

5) Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter is such a great track and now it's stuck in Jue's head too 😋😁

Can anyone guess what book this beauty is? 🥰😊❤️💕

This book is incredible, but that doesn't mean I think you should read it.

It's a book about dissatisfaction, sexuality, freedom, priorities, fidelity, desire, fantasy, reality, convention, change, time...

It's a book that I found impossible to read with detachment. It's a rollercoaster. At times it made me feel MISERABLE, but then it shattered my expectations. I wonder how much of herself the author put into this book.

#camplitsy24

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Foolproof tactics for dieting #1

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs 😊

- Authors I wanna read but haven't read anything by yet... SA Cosby, VE Schwab, Riley Sagar, Virginia Woolf, Percival Everitt, Laura Purcell, Mieko Kawakami, Ruth Ozeki, Trudy Canavan, Leigh Bardugo, Stefan Zweig, George Eliot

Books - anything on my #shelfofshame

- The Book Thief

- Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

A list of creeks. None of which mean anything to me.

Also, if I was naming creeks and small waterways, I'd probably manage a grand total of 3 before thinking about LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE

These books.

Regency Rae is not impressed.

All Fours is brilliantly written, but I wouldn't recommend reading it if you are a woman over 30.

Ducks is samey, samey, samey, and every time I pick it up I start thinking of all the other ways I could be spending my time instead.

BUT I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED.

#ducksbuddyread

the fact that boys Ben's age are so sweet, so soft-cheeked, and most of them don't carry weapons yet

After I've finished this and Ducks, I'm going to dive into fantasy worlds and never come back out.

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView 💕😊

1. Sort of. But it never works. I always end up just reading what I want to read in the end 😅

Spurs include: buddy reading, #bookspinbingo , #roll100 , meeting an author, planning a YouTube vid... but the mood reading inevitably takes over!

2. I need to find out what happens to Fitz and the Fool...

Also, I need to work on my #SHELFOFSHAME (see vid)

https://youtu.be/SdmECBhLNyY?feature=shared

I should have adored this! Look at the cover! Meta-mysteries are my thing, and this novel of two halves should have been a winner.

Although the concept was excellent, the execution was mediocre.

For some reason, the writing didn't breathe life into the plot. It felt more like a list of stuff that happened and I had to keep re-reading because none of it stuck in my mind.

Excellent ideas, but bland characters and guessable twists.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bit obsessed with the Bridgerton generator.

I tried to Bridgertonify Pickles, but it wouldn't let me 🤣🤣

#5joysfriday @DebinHawaii 🥰

1. I make a rather dashing Regency gentleman

2. Italian meringue

3. This ridiculous bookmark that Rare Birds sent me

4. (Which is OBVIOUSLY number 1) Meeting my adorable new nephew Benjamin Simon 💕💕💕💕

5. Mucking around on AI image generator

"I didn't think a lot about death, but I was getting ready to. I understood that death was coming and that all my current preoccupations were kind of naïve; I still operated as if I could win somehow. Not the vast and total winning I had hoped for in the previous decades, but a last chance to get it together before winter came, my final season."

I tried to type this whole passage out but it's too long!

"It was now obvious that H was openly rewarded for each thing he did while I was quietly shamed for the same things...

H couldn't see the haunting and this was the worst part: to be living with someone who fundamentally didn't believe me and was really, really sick of having to pretend to empathise - or else be the bad guy!"

"I had booked a room at the Carlyle and then, on Saturday at four o'clock I had sent naked selfies to all my New York friends. We regularly send these, along with pictures of our kids and pets - it's just part of keeping in touch these days."

Wait. Do people do this?

I have a feeling people don't do this.

IS THIS SOMETHING PEOPLE DO WITH THEIR MATES?! ???

@Oryx