Broke out my #Vonnegut pint glass. Best gift ever from @HeatherBookNerd 🩶 It‘s a beautiful evening in Tennessee, and the cicadas are calm (for now).
#dogsoflitsy
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An imaginative retelling of Huck Finn, told through Jim‘s eyes, in his voice. Everett did Twain justice with this creative homage to the classic adventure story. Clever, funny, and beautifully written. Not surprised it was a Pulitzer finalist! This was my first experience with this author. Very much looking forward to his backlist.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heard about Daniel Lee Corwin on a podcast, so I found this quick listen, free with my Audible subscription. I‘ve already said this recently, but the number of serial murderers in this country‘s history is bonkers. The Texas prison system failed spectacularly by releasing him early after he was sentenced appropriately for rape and attempted murder. Of course, he killed again. Idiots.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of the worst, and honestly creepiest, covers I‘ve ever seen. Been reading about this broad topic a lot lately, and never knew Aileen‘s story beyond the sex worker piece, so it was time. Her tumultuous upbringing was truly horrific, giving her zero chance at a stable adulthood. Still not an excuse for murdering 7 men. I could buy self defense once, maybe twice, but every time? Honey, please. Unsurprisingly, Wuornos had many diagnoses.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed this, my first Abby Jimenez! Loved the silly dating “curses” and the “Toilet King” detail. Funny and serious and cute. The unstable family part was a bit much, but felt kind of real, and was a necessary part of the background and story, so I get it. Looking forward to reading the other #PartofYourWorld books!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One more about Israel Keyes. It‘s a weird need to be a pseudo expert sometimes, not this would ever be a normal topic of conversation. I‘ve had enough now. This guy was the worst kind of monster. Thankful he was caught before inflicting even more suffering and death. That he had a daughter blows my mind. Even being a father couldn‘t save his disgusting deviant behavior.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ FBI Profiler John Douglas takes us inside the Bureau‘s elite serial crime unit. For years, he meticulously studied serial criminals with the intent to understand motive, MO, signature, and other dark behaviors. “To understand the ‘artist,‘ you must study his ‘art.‘” Perhaps a morbid way to state it, but yeah. Douglas goes into immense detail of several crimes and criminals. A brilliant dude. Maybe one day I‘ll watch the Netflix series.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sociopathy doesn‘t just apply to criminals. Seems obvious now, but I‘d never given it much thought. Dr. Patric Gagne (pseudonym) sets out to destigmatize this diagnosis, explaining what it was like to discover her disorder, and to learn how to navigate the challenges. I‘ve seen people stating inconsistencies and questioning the authenticity, which honestly kind of tracks, but what do I know? Well-written and eye opening, regardless.
Cool, but also kind of gross. The cicadas are becoming more prevalent each day in Middle Tennessee. #audiowalk
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The title and premise are clever and full circle without being too cheesy. It‘s gotta be hard to pull off romance tropes in a unique way, but Henry absolutely delivers: a fun story, likable characters, and trademark humor. Fake dating, forced proximity, whatever. Yes. Do it all. It works so well. This hit me at the perfect time (a departure from my true crime binge). Her best yet, IMO.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It‘s disturbing how many serial killers have existed in this country. Anchorage-based Israel Keyes was a real piece of shit, obviously: bank robber, rapist, murderer. I‘m not upset to speak of him in the past tense. Interesting tidbit is that he was born Fundamentalist LDS then his folks joined a white supremacy cult, so there‘s a bit of unpacking to be done in the nature/nurture conversation.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alana struggles. The war rages on. Hazel‘s narration is incredible as always and the artwork draws you wholly into the story. So timely, so vibrant.
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ “The world changes for men, Francis. For women, it stays pretty much the same.” Grandma dropping knowledge. Army Nurse 2LT Frankie and her boys (patients) demanded my attention. These portions were gut-wrenching and genuine. Remembrance matters. Liked the friendships, too. The rest of the devastation and heartache were too much, too predictable. Conclusion: Romantic/romanticized war stories are super corny. Kristin Hannah is not for me.
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Bodies are weird things to live in.” Indeed they are. This slim novel about teen female boxing was a bit less developed than I‘d hoped, but stylistically, the snippets ended up working well. The incessant firstname lastname repetition started driving me mad by the halfway mark, though.
#coverlove
so-so⭐️⭐️ Oof. I appreciate Rule‘s attention to detail, and the recreated dialogue, but this book was so much longer than necessary. Took me forever to complete. And the subject matter - Pat Taylor (plus her various other monickers) - was not even that interesting. Too much true crime lately has me oddly desensitized in my reading, I guess.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In her third book, linguist Amanda Montell dives into the irrational human mind: cognitive biases, magical thinking, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and more. Informative, smart, and witty, this is precisely how I like to expand my mind and learn about human behaviors. Not only a must-read author for me, but a must-buy as well. If you haven‘t listened to her pod, Sounds Like a Cult, you 100% should!
pan⭐️⭐️ Body horror romance? I‘m not sure what provoked me to choose this as my BOTM. The pretty cover? Idk, but I have major regrets. Vigilantes who hunt and kill serial killers, but who themselves are also serial killers. So dumb. That said, I liked the characters well enough, but maggots should never be present in the opening scene. I repeat: Don‘t set the tone with maggots. Barf. Why did I read this?!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An artistic attempt to reconcile the shift in society during the pandemic through current day. During Covid, Naomi Klein was often confused with Naomi Wolf, who devolved into quite a conspiracy theorist. Klein, obvs was not thrilled by this. Interesting, but an odd choice to lean so hard on the “Naomi Mirroring” when it was but a small piece. Props to marketing genius, I guess.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️ Was not previously familiar with this lunatic, but his journalist daughter recently interviewed Gypsy Rose Blanchard prior to her release. I read the transcript, and the serial killer father was mentioned in passing. Anyway, I started researching and found this short bio. Long-haul trucker Keith Hunter Jespersen got cocky and got caught, thankfully.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️ A nonfiction companion to Before We Were Yours. Due to the awareness Wingate‘s novel brought upon the Tennessee Children‘s Home Society, many people realized their family secrets and truths, deciding to further dig. Christie follows 15 stories documenting various instances of reuniting, both positive and negative. A very emotional, but ultimately uplifting read.
I own the most copies of Dunces. Frankenstein and The Catcher in the Rye are close, though! #SundayFunday
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️ The fictionalization of a real-life villain and the adoption atrocities she committed. Georgia Tann, of the Tennessee Children's Home Society, stole children from the impoverished and sold them to wealthy folks who could not conceive. I‘m over dual timeline historical fiction, otherwise this was a solid #bookclub selection. Now, off to find a nonfiction account.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Written by the journalist son of Detective Tom Jensen, this graphic novelization of the Green River Killer case, and his father‘s part, is a bit of an odd endeavor, but thoughtfully created. Out of print, purchase second-hand, and well worth the $30. This completed my brief deep dive into this case (enneagram 5 #iykyk). Fuck you, Gary Ridgway.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Holly Jackson is so good at creating fiction that reads like true crime. Rachel Price went missing years ago. Now her family, desperate for money, is participating in a documentary about her disappearance. Suddenly, as the title implies, she reappears. Now her daughter Bel is trying to piece together what happened. A bit of a wild ride, but so much more than your average thriller. I couldn‘t stop listening!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cry-cry-crying. I read this on the recommendation of both of my boys. Super cute and clever, but so dang sad.
#dogsoflitsy #raisingreaders
My boy loved our greenway walk this morning! We usually walk in our neighborhood, so he digs a little change of pace.
#audiowalk #dogsoflitsy
Grabbing a few chapters at soccer practice. This book is a hot mess.
Started a new book during my boys‘ soccer training. It‘s a chilly, windy day, but the park is beautiful!
#audiowalk
so-so⭐️⭐️ Phone conversations between Gypsy-Rose and journalist Melissa Moore, whose father, weirdly enough, is a serial killer (I will obvs be going down that rabbit hole soon). Anyway, this was the worst quality ebook I‘ve ever read. I bet, in total, about 20 pages wouldn‘t load. I just kept going as I got the gist. Still annoying. Looking forward to Gypsy‘s actual memoir which she mentions here, but I can‘t find a pub date yet.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An intimate portrait of RuPaul‘s life, but I wanted a higher page count! It‘s not his first book, so maybe I‘ll check the backlist. Regardless, Ru shares his story how he pleases, and I respect that. It‘s thoughtful, raw, honest, and undeniably entertaining. Perfect cover; fabulous narration.
11 year old: Mom, come here. Is this grammatically correct?
Me: Oh yeah, that‘s the past tense of shit.
11 year old: *dies laughing*
#raisingreaders
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Quirky in the same way real life tends to be. Enid is deaf in one ear, has an unusual phobia, and an obsession with true crime pods. The title will make sense once you get rolling. Often funny and ultimately hopeful. A fab spin on family drama, too. I loved it so much!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I borrowed this after hearing Dunlop speak on Sounds Like a Cult Podcast. This novel, with a Munchausen by Proxy side story, follows Katie, a former competitive skier, who escapes her tumultuous public life for an interlude in Buenos Aires. She bonds with others also seeking escape. Based on the author‘s sister who committed medical child abuse, and tried to keep the book from publication. A solid read!
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ How could this possibly go wrong? Blaming a trusted book friend for this one. 😂 Memoir is one of my favorite genres because learning about others‘ lives is fascinating and helps us better understand other humans. This was quite out of my wheelhouse, but I don‘t regret it. I did, however, want more on how this arrangement affected the children. Beyond cringy at times, but I‘m trying very hard not to judge. It‘s difficult.
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ St. James is a creepy ghost story master, but this backstory bothered me: recurring mention of Eddie fighting in Iraq. This takes place in 1995! And it‘s clearly not referencing the Gulf War. And all actual 90s references felt forced. It should‘ve just been set more recently. These details were so distracting as Eddie and April worked the mystery of the “Lost Girl.” Overall, pretty mid for one of my most anticipated books of 2024. #BOTM
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My first Freida McFadden. It‘s possible I have a new go-to palate-cleansing author. Skeevy characters enveloped in a disturbing, deceitful, and oddly funny story. Intentionally vague opening scene keeps you guessing. Pure brain candy.
I‘m so sad. Our local B&N just announced it‘s closing April 2 due to the landlord not renewing their lease. Instead, it will become a gym. Word is, B&N is actively looking for a new location. We‘ll see.
#bookhaul #cults
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reichert worked for over twenty years to solve the Green River Killer case. This is his firsthand recounting of the grueling hours, days, years he chased leads, logged evidence, and ultimately got that asshole Gary Ridgway.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Making a point to read more Ann Rule. This, her 23rd book, covers the Green River Killer, one of America‘s most prolific murderers. For 20 years, authorities diligently pieced together evidence until technological advances in DNA profiling came into existence. Rule does something I really appreciate here. She tells us about many of the victims; their lives, not just their horrific deaths. This, of course, led me down a GRK rabbit hole.
Book pillow. School pick up line snooze time.
#BOTM #dogsoflitsy
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nothing makes me happier than a witty rendition of all the dumb shit humans do. This is quite the exploration of modern American depths and shallows. College sweethearts Jack and Elizabeth hit multiple bumps at 20 years married, and try to navigate careers, parenthood, and their relationship in a variety of ways. You‘re going to find something relatable. A brilliant satire on contemporary life!
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leslie Fucking Jones doesn‘t read straight from the print book, but rather uses it as an outline for the audio production. A 300-page memoir does not need to span a very frenetic 17 hours on audio. And I have a pretty foul mouth but, holy shit. These stories get lost in an absolute tsunami of swear words. I have to think the print version is better edited. The best parts were when she cracked up at her own expense. She has the best laugh!
Love this #dedication 🤍
Hell yes! I love when #BOTM arrives quickly. Starting the St James immediately!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Short stories with one commonality: someone who left Kentucky but yearns to return. Tonally, these stories complement each other very well. He created down-and-out characters in fascinating, often endearing ways. I‘m drawn to Offutt, because I, too was born and raised in the Bluegrass State and love the references. Definitely seeking out his backlist. He attended the illustrious Iowa Writers‘ Workshop, so that‘s an automatic plus for me!
pan⭐️ Not at all a fan of this locked-room mystery‘s narrative style. The story gives strong Agatha Christie vibes, which is cool, but Michaelides‘s writing is so basic. It‘s astoundingly awful. A lot of short, clipped sentences that read nearly like stage directions. I enjoyed The Silent Patient, disliked The Maidens, and detested this. Never reading this dude again.
#BOTM
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Filterworld *is* our world. This comprehensive analysis of life after analog takes a minute to get going, but is ultimately an interesting read. Personal passions have been replaced by monetization. It‘s consistently harder to be unique. That‘s just a small glimpse, but you get the idea. Recommend to people who are reading my book reviews on social media. 😉
