Welcome to Litsy!

I know this is going to be a tough read - she has written a tough hard read about her life
- unearthing and bringing to light the hard things we hide in the dark.

#womenshistorymonth

Obviously a tough read, but such an important one.

It‘s been a week! Even though today was far better than the last 3 I still needed a glass of wine and chips to get me through making tomorrow‘s slide deck. This book is stellar, Chanel is a great writer and her story is so powerful. She should be so proud of herself, for surviving, inspiring and hopefully now she‘s living her best life

Just listening to my audio book while I look at my print copy and coming down from a shit show day at school - this week has been a train wreck and I wish we had Thanksgiving coming up - I‘ve got 22 school days to go until Christmas break - I‘ve got to work some magic to manage it, feeling some mental health sick days coming up

Reading this for True Crime book club tonight, and I still remember reading the rapist‘s father words that first time and how much it enraged me and continues to enrage me to this day. I am not one to highlight or markup a book, but the breathtakingly ignorance of this statement burns deep in my mind.

Parent/Teacher interviews were last night and Friday morning. Mine were pretty stacked but I had one no show and a bit of grace built in so I got to listen to my audio book while I made slide decks for next week and dreamed of this pickle pickle poutine for my dinner treat afterwards. Friday am I only have one interview booked but maybe I will have some walk ins 🙏🏻 there are a few parents I need to talk to

Finished my Hocus Pocus set. Time to find my Christmas set now

I‘ve had this in hard cover since it came out. I wanted Chanel to have my money. But I really wanted to listen to her so I FINALLY gave myself permission to borrow the audio from the library. I‘m happy with my choices but my heart is breaking while I listen

#BookBinge

Although this powerful memoir is not entirely a #CourtroomSetting I found the scenes in court to be some of the most wrenching. I listened to the audiobook read by the author when it came out & while it is a difficult & triggering read, it is important & exceptional.

February #bookspin!
@TheAromaofBooks

I‘m trying to read stuff I have on my shelves. Bought this 2 Christmases ago and had forgotten about it. Very powerful read!

Exceptional memoir by the survivor of the well known sexual assault at Stanford. It doesn‘t feel right to rate art born from trauma, but Miller writes about her grief, pain, and healing in gorgeous and devastating prose. Incredibly hard to read at times, but also an incredibly important voice in the conversation about what it can mean to be a woman in our society and criminal justice system. Her vulnerability and strength is extraordinary. 5⭐️

A heavy read but Miller's writing is exceptional. She perfectly shows the brain fog, repetition, guilt and desire to move on through the trauma of sexual assault.

This was *such* a powerful book: thanks to @Amiable for the rev! Chanel Miller was raped by a stranger when too drunk to consent, took her attacker to court, and went viral as “Emily Doe” after he walked free after 3 months. Important issues: women do have a voice, vulnerability of people who don‘t have clear memory in the legal system, lack of support for trauma survivors, need for systemic change.
#NYWD #Nonfiction2022 #BodyPositive

“The barricades that held us down will not work any more. And when silence and shame are gone, there will be nothing to stop us. We will not stand by as our mouths are covered, bodies entered. We will speak, we will speak, we will speak.”

In Elliot [Rodger‘s] world, the unspoken law was that women owed him sex. We existed only to receive him. Those were the rules, that was our purpose. Sex was his right, and our responsibility. The punishment in his world for breaking his laws, for rejecting sex, was death.

I basically read this because I saw it on some best of lists and then the second hand store just happened to have it. It wasn't until I started reading it that I was like, oh, I remember this from the news. It was an experience reading it from Chanel's perspective. It shows how hard she struggled to get to where she was even comfortable telling her story. I am glad I read it and found her story very compelling.

I have only read the introduction and can‘t wait to hear Chanel Miller‘s real story.

"They seemed angry that I‘d made myself vulnerable, more than the fact that he‘d acted on my vulnerability."

Powerful and eye-opening memoir about sexual assault and a survivor whose words inspired changes in California law.
Chanel Miller shows us the power of words. Owning her story and walking us through how she found a way to heal. How she found her strength.

The audiobook is narrated by the author.

Simply put - my star review reflects my opinion of the book and not lack of compassion towards the author‘s life and experience.

I found the book overly repetitive. Put off with flowery writing (e.g. zipper - little gold teeth). Chapter 12 onwards was okay. Also the part where the author stressed "I'm CHINESE!" - I thought you're Asian American. Half Caucasian, half Chinese. Anyway. That was a major turn-off.

I wasn‘t sure I wanted to read this memoir - the story of sexual assault and the unraveling from the experience. I‘m grateful a friend told me I should put aside my hesitation. The writing is beautiful- a profound inner dialogue about the emotional journey, frustration with the legal system, of navigating all the ways the assault impacted her life and rippled outwards among her family and friends.

Wow. Such an important and powerful book! I'm still processing but appreciated Chanel's openness and willingness to share her story. Definitely recommend but with TW for rape and assault. Raw and honest.

Amazing and inspiring. Sad and hopeful. Also she narrated the audiobook herself. That‘s strength!

Chanel Miller writes so honestly, bravely, and powerfully about such a horrible but too often occurring experience. It was painful to read at times and hard to process but I couldn‘t set it down for too long because I wanted to know her story beyond the news articles and what she was often reduced to in them. If you can, read this book.

This should be required reading. I am still processing, so I can't say much more than that.

"Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing" -Goodreads

I originally checked this book out from the public library. I have since bought two copies for my classroom library. Such an important book for young women to read. It is a powerful story that is beautifully written.

1. The tagged is the best one I‘ve read in in years but I also loved Bryan Cranston‘s and Born Standing Up by Steve Martin.

2. Probably horror and so unoriginal but Stephen King.

3. Either Erik Larson or Jon Krakauer and I also love Susan Casey. And Mary Roach. And Sam Kean.

#wondrousWednesday. @Eggs

Came home from bookclub with some leftover pizza & 2 giveaway books that I won 😍 I love the conversations that come from these meetings!

My favorite place to read ☀️

Winter challenges met!

Have you read a book as powerful as this one in recent memory? The writing is fantastic, raw, brave, inspiring. This is an important piece of literature - read this memoir!

Hers is a voice I won't forget. Her story belongs to so many women and we're lucky she spoke so frankly about it. Read it for yourself or for someone else to better understand what happens to a survivor.

“Somehow it had become all of our faults, except his.”

Wanted to share this with #shesaid Littens and anyone who loved this book.

Tuesday March 16, 6-7pm Pacific Time.

This book fits today‘s #DiversifyYourShelf prompt too.

https://sfpl.org/events/2021/03/16/author-chanel-miller-conversation-journalist-...

Favourite Book Read in February!

This book is an absolute tour de force. I am in awe of Chanel Miller‘s eloquence, courage, grit and perseverance. It should be mandatory reading for everyone on the planet. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is like a gut punch to the soul.

This this this this this THIS. As a woman and as the mother of sons, THIS.

An easy pick. Miller‘s beautiful writing really drew me in despite this being a very lengthy memoir. An account of sexual violence, the difficult trial in which she had to relive her trauma and the aftermath of these experiences on the survivor‘s identity and wellbeing.

The woman originally known as Emily Doe, for her powerful victim impact statement after she was sexually assaulted by Brock Turner, writes about her own case and also the way the criminal justice system is set up to continuously disrupt and revictimize the lives of people who have been raped and assaulted. A powerful and vital book.

My #CrushtheRush goal was to read the remaining 11 books on my 2020 #LitsyAtoZ list. I ended up replacing 4 of my original picks with others: Execution in E, Northanger Abbey, The Unseen and The Viscount Who Loved Me. Thanks, Kelly, for the motivation, encouragement and support. I couldn‘t have done without you! Working on my 2021 #LitsyAtoZ list. If you‘re interested check out @BookishMarginalia page for details.

Today‘s installment of #12BooksOf2020

I was afraid this would be a tough read, but it wasn‘t near as tough as I was anticipating. This girl can write, and I hope she writes more in the future. She is so honest about everything, her feelings and even the parts she doesn‘t know. I‘ll be recommending this for awhile.

Trigger warning for readers. A strong eloquent narration of the very real, raw turmoil that a sexual assault victim experiences when they have audacity to speak their truth. Being pushed and pulled and trampled and contorted and reduced to flash words designed to delegitimise. Really captures the ripples of how being invaded affects every aspect of your being, your very essence changed forever. Bravo to Chanel Miller. Know Her Name.

Mixed feelings about this one. Chanel Miller is now a personal hero of mine. I loved her writing and her storytelling but at the same time I struggled to fight my way through this book for obvious reasons.

Next read.