“I‘ll die someplace and so will you—it might not be no better place than Lonesome Dove.”

“It ain‘t dying I‘m talking about, it‘s living,”
Augustus said. “I doubt it matters where you die, but it matters where you live.” ✊🫶

As goofy as I found *the writing to be, I still liked the storyline. I‘m a sucker for second chance romance, country music, the cool outsider girl who knew who she was even way back in her high school days, all that jazz. I do wish there had been some more soul-rousing conversations between the two of them. Like say what you want and mean it; you‘re grown ass adults, bare your soul. Haven‘t you been pining for this exact moment? Get on with it!

Yall…. What in the…😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

About 75 pages in, but there‘s something mildly irksome about the writing. Occasionally, I read a line and grimace. He has caught of whiff of her lotion/perfume/whatever twice now and it has “made his head swim” both times…. They “frolicked in the rain” then “traded bashful glances” when they got back in the jeep…. 😵‍💫😑

Another victim of the time of the year, I think. The story is set up to be chapters from ten different females about the death of one particular teen. Keeping up with the various characters felt like a task that I‘m just not up for currently. I made it halfway through. November-ish, I might try again when my brain can focus and I‘m open to the sadness that seems to encompass these ladies. I didn‘t hate it, just didn‘t care about it.

Oops…flailed around a bit this morning and accidentally spilled my coffee on the edge of this library book. I can really amaze myself with my ability to jack some shizz up 🫠😵‍💫But I‘m really liking it, so I hope they‘ll at least let me keep it if I have to pay for a replacement. 🤪

Another good one! Jimenez‘s books are a little slice of cuteness and fun but never cheesy. I‘m currently mildly obsessed with reading all of her books bc it‘s all my brain can handle currently, but I‘m so glad I‘ve found her work and I‘m pretty sure I‘d love them any time (not just end of crazy school year time). Any suggestions for other non-cheesy authors in the same vein as Jimenez? Others you love as well?

In between books and nothing is sticking. So many promising holds have come into the library, but they‘re getting returned unread 🫠. I try, I get about thirty pages in and then I‘m over it. It‘s not the books, it‘s the time of the year and the pressure of preparing middle schoolers for EOG testing. It‘s awful, to be honest. Eight pages into this book. Wish me luck 🍀🤞😩

It‘s my Litsyversary and my actual anniversary! What a day?! 🤩❤️🤗

I‘ll never pass up a copy of either of these books. Here‘s my current collection, and I can‘t tell you how many I‘ve given away to gifts to my reader friends. #sundayfunday @BookmarkTavern

Late Independent Bookstore Day post: Of course I found my way to some bookstores yesterday. The Wolfe book was on the freebie shelf, and I haven‘t even read the first in Lyla Sage‘s series, but because I really love the covers, I went ahead and bought the second one. And the socks, well, that‘s just how I live my life. There‘s reading books and there‘s buying books, and I‘m really good at both. 😆🤷🏼‍♀️

I like to say things like “I don‘t read a lot of romance” or “romance isn‘t my jam,” but I‘ve learned that Abby Jimenez is absolutely my jam, so I‘ll be reading everything she has written or ever writes 🤷🏼‍♀️. I really loved this one, even more than Yours Truly and that‘s saying a lot.

Sometimes you go to a thrift, pick up a book, and fall in love. Does this copy have its dust jacket? No. Is it first edition? Yes. Do I already own this book? Yes. Do I need another copy? No. However, something happened when I saw the spine on that shelf in Goodwill and now we‘re very best friends 🤩🫶❤️

The cover is BEAUTIFUL, but to be quite honest, I needed more daily thoughts, more voice from the typewriter. The premise is so smart, but for me, the execution was lacking. I also would‘ve loved some chapters from the mom‘s perspective because I have some questions…

You know what I love about these books? That they‘re out there for young adults to learn what healthy, respectful, caring relationships look like and sound like. If whomever you‘re with doesn‘t treat you like Nick and Charlie treat each other, it ain‘t it.

My birthday was Wednesday and I picked up this hold from the library on Thursday. Coincidence? I think not… 👵🏻👵🏻

I borrowed this from a dear friend who said it was better than Hunger Games and in her top 5 books ever. My expectations were high, but sixty some pages in, it hasn‘t grabbed my attention. I don‘t love the writing (so many sentences starting the same way) nor do I feel any connection to any character. The idea of ‘female magic‘ and the ‘pull‘ they have over gross, lusty men is an interesting facet but, for me, the delivery (and cover 👎) is off.

Yes, it‘s a pick but a weird and icky pick. I enjoyed the writing and will probably read this author again. The idea of an AI cuddle bunny was unsettling, Doug was creepy, but I didn‘t really want to put the book down so there‘s that 🤷🏼‍♀️. I wish I could discuss this with book club, @Allyneedsbooks

Here‘s what I liked: the podcast element, the grandma character, the snark, writing was good. I wanted to pick this up and continue reading, so that says something. But ultimately, it kind of felt like another thriller/suspense novel in a saturated market. An enjoyable read but not one that will stick with me.

There‘s this bookstore in the town that‘s closest to civilization from my home. I try to stop in when I‘m up that way bc she gives you an ARC with purchase. Did I need another copy of James?! No, but signed first edition?! I couldn‘t pass it up. My students are going to be JACKED to see Book 2 in the Coyote Sunrise series and I needed Book 2 of Shady Hollow. Bottom 3 are the ARCs I chose. How perfect is The Great River to go along with James?! 🤩

Gotta love seeing the holiday on the actual holiday. 🐰

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟I taught Huck Finn for many years, and this retelling is everything I hoped for when I first heard about it last year. Even though the reading is definitely enhanced by having read Huck Finn, it‘s not a dealbreaker. It‘s interesting to hear the events from Jim‘s perspective, to know how brilliant he is, and watch him really morph into James. This will be in my top books of 2024, no doubt, and my first of many Percival Everett reads.

Ok, so Litsy app won‘t open and here‘s how the website on my phone wants to post the pic. However this book is positioned, it‘s a winner. A grief memoir that shows how all-encompassing grief will be, especially when you lose someone way too soon. I loved that it was written in vignettes and flew through it because of that. Emotional and searing.

This was really good! Not my usual genre, but I‘m thinking I need to add more like this into my reading rotation. The writing was on point, and Jacob is my new book boyfriend. My only gripe is the non-communication trope. 🗣️”Just ask the questions that you need to ask when you need ask them and so many problems will be avoided!!!” Regardless, a definitive pick ❤️

Yessss!!! It‘s excellent! I heard a couple of podcasters recommend this one, and they weren‘t wrong. I‘m not big on the suspense/thriller ones, but this is a win. A mom has to protect her children (in the scariest of situations) and justify her decisions to others over and over. Interesting portrayal of how women are doubted, labeled, and mistrusted. Really good stuff! Is this getting buzz?! Sure should be!

Going to be in the car all day, and this one isn‘t working for me. Moving on to something else. Good things I take too many books on every trip I go on 🤪📚🤓

Okkkk, was it a pick? Yes. Did it keep my interest? Yes. Will I remember it in a month? Yes. But there‘s something off about this book for me. I didn‘t need to two timelines, and I don‘t love a perfect protagonist nor do I need a perfect spouse for that protagonist. Really, everyone connected to her was perfect. I think this book is excellent for lots of readers, and I‘ll even recommend it to them. There, that‘s my review 🤷🏼‍♀️😏😅🥹🙏😬🤷🏼‍♀️

Halfway through it, and sometimes I‘m so in love with this book and the story. Then the author switches to 35 years prior and a flashback to her and her husband‘s days as newlyweds and it takes me out of the story. I‘m sure it all ties together at some point, but I‘d rather just read the story of her trying to do right by the people of her town and fighting the patriarchy in the process.

It‘s as good as I remember it. This copy is all marked up and ready for the middle schoolers. We started Ch. 1 today and the kids are in it to win it!! 🙌🤩

Spending a Saturday night marking this one up in preparation for teaching it to 7th graders. I can‘t wait! 🤩🙌 #teachersoflitsy

Library‘s coming in clutch 🙌

Godddd, my eyes, my English teacher eyes…for the love!!! 😩😭😩😭😩😭

My English teacher heart just can‘t take it. “Tom-or-row, Tom-or-row!” 😩😭

Part 1 of the Conquer a Classic readalong has me wondering why I haven‘t been reading Westerns all this time?! I‘m loving this big chunker of a novel and looking forward to hearing Annie and Hunter‘s discussion for January. 🤓❤️🙌

Yeehaw 🤠 Starting my read-along to “conquer a classic” with From the Front Porch podcast. My copy of the book should be into my Indie bookstore on Monday. It‘s a good thing because the library said I can‘t keep this one forever, but I sure do love how worn in it is… 🤗

My first book of 2024 was a banger. Grann can do no wrong, and if he writes it, I‘m reading it. His writing is on point, and he makes these historical figures and their voyage at sea intriguing, fascinating, and weirdly relatable. I loved it!

I‘ve been holding onto this bad boy since August-ish. I didn‘t want to start it mid-year and it‘s FINALLLLLLY TIME! I can‘t wait 🤩

I managed to read 53 books this year. Here‘s my list of 5 star reads for 2023 🤩🎉🤓🥰

This volume dealt with some more serious issues, but still a quick and enjoyable read. Squeezed it in just in time #2023reads

I think Nunez is brilliant and one of the best writers out there, but this one kind of lost me. Maybe I‘m not ready for full pandemic lit just yet. Maybe I just care more about dogs than parrots because I really loved The Friend. Regardless, it was a quick read and I appreciate the connections Nunez makes throughout the book (like all of the flower names). Worth a read, but not one that I‘ll remember forever.

Trust me when I say that I ask my dogs many, many questions everyday. “Why are you barking?” “Do you need to go outside?” “What is your deal?!” “How did you get to be such a cutie-patootie?!” “Aren‘t you just the best boy ever?!” “You want to go take a nap?” “Why can‘t the bird be in the yard?!” “Will you ever be okay with the neighbors being in their yard?” “Are you always surprised when a truck drives by?!” “Could you be any cuter?!” 🤗🐾❤️🐾🤗

I hate it when my bookmark is ready to stop reading before I am. 😑🐾🐶😁

So I said I was moving to serious books, but I couldn‘t resist this sweet, closed door romance between two high school English teachers (be still, my heart). The banter was cute, not overly sweet, and Miles was the most perfectly sarcastic yet sweet romantic lead. I loved it! ❤️❤️❤️

Hoping I love this one as much as Killers of the Flower Moon 🌖

Thrifted some great books yesterday 🤩

Cute cute cute cute cute! Rom coms aren‘t usually my jam (I cannot handle cheese in my books) but this worked for me. My grinch heart needed a little sweetness; now it‘s back to my regular program 😏✌️

The library stack that‘s been staring me down while I finished my last book. I don‘t think my next read will be the one that‘s tagged. Just flipping through it makes me think it‘s way over my head. 😵‍💫🧐

Ok, this took me forever and a day to read. Possibly because, unpopular opinion, it was way too long. Parts should‘ve been edited out, and I don‘t think this was as strong as Fourth Wing. Still good enough and still a Pick, but I was skimming the last quarter and not 100% invested. Ready for a new read.

I thought I‘d fly through this one, but it feels like it‘s taking forever. 🫠🤷🏼‍♀️🕰️

So helpful… 🥰😅