Welcome to Litsy!

I could not stop reading this beautiful and brutal memoir about a daughter seeking to understand her troubled parents and their untimely deaths. Carroll writes with a lyricism and poignancy that will take your breath away. She does not shy away from who her parents were, and they are not idealized in their deaths. She writes honestly about what it‘s like to love dysfunctional people. Carroll‘s elegy for them and her childhood is a must-read. 5⭐️

Holy moly, what a book! Billed as true crime, but more than that. Very New England, very 90s nostalgia. Recounts grief & a complicated childhood in a very captivating way. Could not stop reading. #lmpbc group M

This book… I don‘t even know what to say. It broke my heart. I had to read it fast, it made it so hard to put down. (I mailed it off already #LMPBC - early but so I won‘t forget to at the end of this month!)

@5feet.of.fury @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Bookwormjillk

Lobster doesn‘t like me reading and not giving him all the attention #CatsOfLitsy

Just got it in the mail @Bookwormjillk :) excited to start !!! #LMPBC

This was billed as true crime, but it was so much more than that. I won‘t say more because I don‘t want to spoil anything for my #LMPBC group, but I am so glad for the push to finally read this after it sat on my shelf for years. I started this afternoon and couldn‘t stop until I finished.

This little gem packs an emotional wallop . 💥💥💥💥💥 Leah Carroll writes and emotional memoir about her mother‘s murder and her dad‘s death. She quickly captured my attention and I did not put the book down unless it was to take Truman (my dog) potty.

This book is a FAST read. It‘s definitely a memoir and ode to her father more than an explanation of her mother‘s murder but it was pretty interesting. I listened to Crimetown and since she grew up in Rhode Island, it was cool to see how some of those people factored into her circumstances (at the least, I knew how to pronounce their names). I wanted to hear more about her investigation but the memoir-heavy parts made a lot more sense overall

I picked this one up at Barnes and Noble last night after work. So far so good. Of course how can I judge another person‘s life story? It is what it is. Love the moody black and white cover on this one.

Happy Mother's Day! Bookstore gift card from my husband burned a hole in my pocket right away. Pendant from my daughter and International Rescue Committee donation from my stepkids.

I bought this on impulse the other day. So glad I did. It‘s a really powerful story of growing up and about the terrible loss of both parents. When she‘s only 4 years old, Leah‘s mother is violently murdered; her father dies when she‘s barely 18. Part true crime, part memoir, I really connected with Leah‘s story. It helps that her youth coincided with mine. #genxy #memoir

It's been a while since I've done #thankawriter - I loved Leah Carroll's tone-perfect memoir, and her ability to describe my state of Rhode Island perfectly. I had to write her. And I'm happy to say she wrote a really nice note back. It really made my day. Ok - tag, you're it.

#TBRtemptation post 8! Comparisons are made to James Ellroy, Mary Karr, and David Simon. Leah's mother was killed by the Mafia when she was 4, her alcoholic father died when she was 18. In this memoir, she gives a riveting cross-sectional portrayal of Rhode Island's people. She pieces together her parents' past, searching for answers to why her mother was killed, why her killers got light sentences, what she inherited. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Picking out a new book to read tonight was tough. I decided on Down City. Hoping I enjoy it.

This week's ebook haul. Excited for all of these. Down City is a surprise discovery; there aren't many nonfiction books about Rhode Island, so I'm interested to read it.

I just came across this memoir, which will be released tomorrow, while browsing on PW. I currently live in Providence, RI, so the title caught my eye. A combination of memoir and reportage, this book investigates the deaths of the authors' parents. If you've been listening to Crimetown (a great podcast exploring organized crime in PVD), this might be of interest. Here's hoping my local bookstore will have this on the shelves tomorrow!