Welcome to Litsy!

At the Ann Arbor library for the Washtinaw Reads program to see Kiley Reid talk about her book!

(Spoiler alert- the book was PHENOMENAL!)

Loving this!! Started it over an hour ago and haven‘t been able to put it down. Literally surprised at the time that had even passed. It was like coming up for air. Love this kind of reading experience! Briar is a wonderfully written child character.

An enthusiastic yes! Also Alix and Tamra are two of the biggest yuck characters I have read in years. Awful. Boo, no sympathy.

After a black babysitter is accused of kidnapping her white charge, her life takes some unexpected turns culminating in the release of a video taken the night of the kidnapping accusation. Parts were uncomfortable to read, but I loved the end!

This makes book 2 of 2023 that I am reading as a library book but it also turns out that I own it 😑

Both Kobo copies and I‘m glad to support the authors but is this indicative of a problem? Think of the other books I could have bought!

“Sooo… But you gotta act like you like Briar once in a while. Before she like… really figures it out… It is what it is, you know? You‘re her mom.”

-Chapter 26, Pages 294-295

this chapter really broke my heart! the class and wealth divide throughout this whole novel really shines at this one line, because caregivers tend to know the kids better than their own parents! and alix never really knew how to not let her wealth influence her decisions :(

read: november 9-19, 2022

this book was such a great read! it really makes you think about race and class, and allows you to reflect all while being entertained by the drama and sometimes lighthearted plot. the relationship emira has with briar as her sitter is so heartwarming, especially since i want to work with kids. there are some great moments as well as some more serious moments that deserve these kinds of discussions! so well written!

chapter 27

this chapter! such a revelation chapter right before the book ends. i like that reid writes in a way that you definitely know whose side you‘re on by the time the book is over and this chapter will help you make your decision!!

“Some days she carried the sweet relief that Briar would learn to become a self-sufficient person. And some days, Emira would carry the dread that if Briar ever struggled to find herself, she‘d probably just hire someone to do it for her.”

-Chapter 28, Page 305

This was such a relevant book and highlighted microaggression very well! The racism depicted in this book was not completely overt (though aspects were), and went into the nuances of microaggression. This book was beautifully written.

I actually enjoyed reading this one! It‘s pretty different from what I normally read (romance/fantasy), since it‘s more focused on racial/social issues. But I think it was good for me on an educational level to hear a such a story from a Black woman‘s perspective. Also just in general, the storyline is very interesting! Would recommend☺️

This definitely proudly up a lot of issues to contemplate. It wasn‘t perfect, and actually really uncomfortable at times but I enjoyed this as much as I could. I would recommend.

OK... so it wasn't awful - enjoyable, an easy read and made me continue reading whilst my eyes were dropping and I needed to sleep.

However, I never connected with any of the characters, their actions were the focus on a book about colour and how race can affect how others are viewed in certain situations. As a reader, it made me think more about how our own actions may be perceived by others, thought provoking more than anything.

Started this book today, been a while since I wanted to read 📚 can't wait to see where the story will go 😆

⭐️⭐️⭐️ • This book is ridiculous but I didn‘t hate it.

Interesting characters combined with an engaging story. There are depths to this book that will certainly make you think.

This was a unique way to deal with the topics of racism and classism - I enjoyed it. The characters were a bit too stereotypical, which made this a good read, not a great read for me.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
I am back on track with reading - sometimes we have to go through a few books to get to the right ones.

Make a great day everyone 🌞

That night, when Mrs. Chamberlain called, Emira could only piece together the words “take Briar somewhere“ and “pay you double.“

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

#MarvellousMay has gone well so far, starting another book for the weekend - @Andrew65

Make a great day everyone 🌞

This was a different twist on race and class from anything I‘ve read recently. I liked that I didn‘t have a handle on what Alix or Emira would do next.

There's something unsettling about a book where everyone is problematic. The relationship between Emira and Briar seems to be the only sincere relationship in the book, and it is a beautiful one. However, the rest of the characters feel one-dimensional, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. I'm hovering between a Pick and a so-so.

Easy read, but just sort of meh. I don‘t know if I didn‘t like the end, or didn‘t like any of the characters, or what. The entire thing made me cringe a bit.
⭐️: 3/5

My book club sure is going to have a lot to discuss when we meet about this one. I enjoyed how nobody was fully right or fully wrong about the other characters and their motivations or what they needed out of life. Really felt like a reflection of life. #contemporaryfiction

This was the right book at the right time. Like Little Fires Everywhere, I got totally sucked into this story with crackling dialogue and interesting characters. I really enjoyed it. 👍

After being accused of kidnapping a child one night at Market Depot, Emira Tucker is humiliated and begins to question her role as the Chamberlain's babysitter. At the same time, Alix Chamberlain, Emira's employer, struggles to find the motivation and work ethic that she had had before moving back to Philidelphia from her New York City apartment. If you like dramas, you will like this book.

I‘m having fun with this one. Easy read but still gets you to think a bit.

I really enjoyed the writing style and how the author was able to shine a light on privilege in the US with a story that captured my attention at every point. This was a quick read that had its fair share of cringeworthy, heartwarming, heartbreaking and triumphant moments.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is about a young teen who deals with racism. I posted the back cover of this book because I don‘t know how someone could read the back and not want to read more about this book. The only down side of this book is that I got a little confused sometimes on who was talking, because it wouldn‘t say there names very often. It‘s more of a mature read, sometimes I was a little shocked by the language. But other than that I highly suggest it.

Obviously this is very much a book about racism, but I think it's also about the dangers of projecting one's own values/fears/dreams onto others. Easy to read but plenty to think about, not least what was likely to become of poor, dear little Briar. This book was a gift from lovely @JennyM Thank you, my friend 😘 I enjoyed it very much.

Popsugar: misleading title

This was a really interesting book (I mean that positively). The plot sprung from a black babysitter being accused of kidnapping the white child she was looking after and how she and her employer changed because of this incident. Some characters whole others are too stuck in their ways to see that their actions which they so firmly believe are right are in fact wrong. It was so good.

I‘m sure I‘m late to the party on this one, but I‘m glad I finally got to it. Liked the writing and found the start interesting, compelling. 🎧

Joint winner of my favourite 🤩 book of 2021 #favouritereadsof21

Really engaging book that I struggled to put down until I finished the book! The author presents the power dynamics of race, wealth age alongside the emotional conflicts in a way that I very much related to and have also never read in a book before.

Peppermint bark and reader socks for the win on this chilly Sunday. My read for this evening is our monthly Book Pearl pick titled Such a Fun Age by @kileyreid and curious to see how it will end. What are you guys reading on this chilly Sunday? #suchafunage #kileyreid #peppermintbark #readingsocks #pearlspick #bookpearls

Tapping back into my bookclub pick and following the motto of the mug for the rest of the evening while praying to the snow Gods!

I DEVOURED this book. I started it last night and I've got about 50 pages left. Also, I had to coordinate my mug with the cover since I've been enjoying it so much. 😂💕

Happy Sunday, everyone!

We need to have a word for when you pick up a book and it lines up uncannily with real life. I read this book around Thanksgiving and it was perfect. Good premise executed in a great way, with intense twists and engaging characters.

#TBRPile 📚 That night, when Mrs Chamberlain called, Emira could only piece together the words “…take Briar somewhere…” and “…pay you double…”.

So much drama. Oh my gosh. That was before thanksgiving. The story pivoted quickly between centering around Emira to Alix. Black nanny to white mother. So much going on so quick didn‘t give a lot of time to process. I didn‘t really relate to any of them, but each perspective of the two ladies was was stark in how they live. Lot of underlying issues being suppressed that affected the characters present decisions. Good for a new perspective

Really enjoyed this one. I loved that it managed to walk the line between light moments and really serious topics that would be great for discussion. Not sure if it will hit my reread list at any point, but it was definitely worth taking the time to read it. 100% recommend!

November's Bingo Board 💃💃💃

I'm not posting October's because (again) it looks very unimpressive 😅 Looking forward to reading a lot of these. Wish me luck!

Been debating whether or not to buy this one for quite some time, but finally stumbled across it at a thrift store for $2. Score! The pup approves of the first 50 pages - can't wait to keep reading!

Here's my #bookspin bingo for November @TheAromaofBooks

I was planning (hoping) to attempt NaNoWriMo this year and also planning (contemplating) a road trip to see my friends in the North West later on in the month. I'm not sure how much of anything will go ahead as I'm feeling like complete crap...

So either I'll be busy, or I won't be up to much next month. Reading (either way) is likely to be sparse!

I'm still going to play though! ❤

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p6foww6DH24

This is my #doublespin book. I had no expectations going in. The white mom character was annoying and immature. It was hard to believe any of the characters and I didn‘t like the stereotypes

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

It starts out so fun. The characters are lovable, and then as their flaws are uncovered you are slapped with your own choices. To support them? To love them? To despise them for their actions? Very intense subjects hidden under a playful story. Very easy to apply to the real world. An important complex book that‘s easy to read. I‘d love to shake hands with the author of this one. The audio book was excellently read.

Long listed for the 2020 Booker Prize, this book is about race and class. It was not predictable and the characters stayed true throughout the story.

Read this book super fast after buying it impulsively…made for a super interesting vacation read.

I was able to finish this book in a day, which is fast for me! I was mad at each character at least once in the book, which kept me engaged with the story.

Really enjoyed this! Light in tone and an easy read but covering some pretty serious subjects and very thought provoking. Also included some really cringey ‘white woman‘ moments which made for pretty uncomfortable reading!