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Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

I really enjoyed this! I am unsure if the story would have had the same impact on me if I did not live in our MCs neighborhood. I feel like Pattee really made the city come alive. I could have used a bit more description of the aftermath, but I thought the characters were drawn well and the storytelling was great.
4.25/5

ChaoticMissAdventures PS the GR ratings have really taken a hit the last couple of weeks and I just do not understand, I know #CampLitsy25 was super positive about this one! 4mo

squirrelbrain How odd that the GR rating is going down! 🤔 4mo

Skelly_fyer Oh, I didn‘t expect to get pulled in so deeply, but here I am thinking about the characters like they‘re real. Everything hits just right whether it‘s the action, tension, or emotional arcs. This is one read that stays with you long after the last line. By the way I have a bunch of ideas for your story. If you are open, I would love to discuss it with you. I'm a scene artist and illustrator from Texas. I'd be thrilled to do it for you! 4mo

joshuafreelancer Readers will love this. Have you considered a marketing partner to make it pop? 4mo

49 likes4 comments

MeganAnn

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

Moved outside to finish the second half of this book. I loved this one! It‘s fast paced and captivating. I had to know what was going to happen next both in Annie‘s past as well as her journey through earthquake destroyed Portland.

And it has been awhile since I had a day where I could just read all day with no other obligations so that felt deliciously relaxing in the best way.

Another great pick for #camplitsy25 🎉

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

squirrelbrain Sounds like a perfect day! 4mo

Skelly_fyer I just finished your story and it was so good! Let me know if you'd like to hear some ideas I had. 4mo

Megabooks Reading days are the best! 4mo

52 likes3 comments

MeganAnn

Tilt | Emma Pattee

My library hold for Tilt finally came in so I‘m spending today reading to catch up with #camplitsy25 . So far, I‘m completely engrossed in Annie‘s story.

Also still making my way through #doorstopkristin — July was a busy month with little reading time so book 2 is slow going but I am enjoying it. Hoping to finish book 2 and at least get part of the way through book 3 before the end of the month but we‘ll see.

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

MeganAnn #klbr @BarbaraJean 4mo

Megabooks Such a great book! Tilt is really captivating! 4mo

squirrelbrain It won‘t take long to catch up - it‘s a quick read! 4mo

Suet624 Book 2 of Kristin‘s story was a bit slow going but there‘s a lot happening in it. 4mo

49 likes4 comments

Tilt | Emma Pattee

#CampLitsy25 question 1

Today we‘re discussing part two of Tilt.
As usual, I‘ll only be tagging all of you in this question. Scroll down to find both other questions. Enjoy!

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 4mo

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @CBee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine (edited) 4mo

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose (edited) 4mo

See All 46 Comments

BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 4mo

BarbaraBB @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 (edited) 4mo

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn (edited) 4mo

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks 4mo

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape @zukeeyah 4mo

Kitta For me it was the children. The boy trapped in ikea, the one she gives the caterpillar too, the daughter they‘re searching for in the school. I think because Annie is pregnant, her descriptions were extra heartbreaking. 4mo

Jas16 The parents searching for their children at their school. Even trying to imagine myself in their situation… 4mo

mcctrish The children 😭I liked that at least one reunion could be made. It struck me that one had to make split second decisions on whether to trust or not and it could go either way fast adding another horrible level of stress to survival and coping 4mo

AmyG The woman from IKEA looking for her daughter at the school. As a mother, I just couldn‘t imagine. That part made me so anxious. (edited) 4mo

DGRachel I guess since I don‘t have kids, they had less of an impact. For me, if was the clerk at IKEA who pulls Annie from the wreckage and who later reconnects with her. I don‘t think Annie would have made it as far as she did without the other woman by her side. 4mo

Butterfinger The parents. When the woman from IKEA decided to crawl in the tunnel, and she was probably still there during the aftershock. OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS! Secondly, the girl who knocked Annie off the bicycle. 4mo

ImperfectCJ Taylor definitely stands out for me, how Annie's impression of her goes from an annoyed (annoying) employee to mom driven to get to her child. Also the teens at the end are particularly puzzling/disturbing to me, and the creepy guy in the van who she doesn't get a ride with. Still not sure if he was legit or a predator. 4mo

Zuhkeeyah Taylor stood out because we were able to hear and see her full story while others were passing moments along the side of the road. Also, the love for her daughter was a strong contrast to Annie's lukewarm excitement about becoming a mom. 4mo

BkClubCare And the creepy guy who walks with her for a bit; described as soulless. Annie‘s hackles up but she plays along until he finally leaves. But that was what provoked her need to get the razor blades (which I admit I was baffled by until we saw why) 4mo

BkClubCare And the married couple out for a bike ride - heartbreaking 💔 Her wanting to help but needing to survive. That scene hurt me. 4mo

BarbaraBB Oh so interesting we all mention other characters. I‘ll add one too, that stuck with me the most: I keep thinking of that man who offers her a ride in his van, and how she argues“Men aren‘t necessarily bad… Every man was once a baby… nobody wants to hurt a pregnant woman,” yet she still turns away, frozen. ❤️‍🩹 4mo

squirrelbrain I agree @ImperfectCJ @Zuhkeeyah - we could see the full trajectory (almost) of Taylor‘s story. But the snippets of all the other people she encountered were valuable too. 4mo

vonnie862 Oh my gosh, the children! 4mo

Deblovestoread Definitely Taylor‘s journey with that desperate need to get the her child. 4mo

yourfavouritemixtape For me it was Taylor too, being a parent, the scenes at the school were what hit me the hardest. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @DGRachel I agree, I also think since she spent so much time with Taylor stands out the most to me. But honestly I keep thinking about the military men. The guys who are blocking Annie's only way to her husband (maybe, if he is still in the west side) and I agree with @Butterfinger the girl who knocked her off the bike is just horrifying. Nature is going to do what it does, but it was the bad actor people who really threw me. 4mo

GatheringBooks I echo what everyone else is saying about Taylor - hers is the most enfleshed narrative, I thought, and there was also a full circle kind of twist in the end when they found each other after all they have experienced. 4mo

Megabooks Taylor, of course. I read this the first time months ago, and I've thought at least a few times a week about her crawling into that school since then. I'm not a parent, but I can feel her desperation.

The man on the bike whose wife is obviously dead. That moment when everyone deserts her because they have to survive themselves. Those decisions made me grapple with my own humanity and how I'd feel as any of those people. 4mo

Lesliereadsalot Whoever stole her water bottle really pissed me off! 4mo

willaful Taylor's story is excruciating... they each saved each other, but Annie may never know what happened to her and her daughter. 4mo

CBee Definitely Taylor - I wish we‘d had more resolution with that part 💔 4mo

Hooked_on_books I read this book back in March, so reading all the comments are refreshing the details in my head. But before reading the comments, the person I remember most is the pickup driver with a load of people who stopped for her. When someone is worried for their own safety and people yet stops for a stranger, that‘s humanity at its best. 4mo

TEArificbooks Well, like everyone, Taylor‘s story and the bike riders and the children really moved me. So I‘m going to add the mother at the school that found her child had died and how Taylor and Annie held her through the Initial trauma and grief. They had their own people they were searching for and time was of the essence but they both stopped to see that woman through for a few minutes. 4mo

BarbaraJean Like so many others, Taylor stood out because Annie‘s with her the longest. @ImperfectCJ Yes—how quickly the dynamic shifted between them once the earthquake hit! I loved how the annoyed employee & customer end up keeping each other going. I appreciated the realism of how many people Annie encounters and never sees again, so the reader never finds out what happens to them, either. But I also REALLY wanted to know what happened with Taylor. 4mo

BarbaraJean I also appreciated the range of encounters we saw: the best and worst of people, as well as everything in between. @Megabooks That man and his dying wife really haunted me. Everyone leaving felt so callous at first, but I kept thinking: what else could they have done? The teens at the end really shocked me, though. 4mo

Megabooks @BarbaraJean I think there were so many slices of humanity at its most desperate in this book. The teens did not shock me. I think with the brain development level, there's a finer line between being taken over to violence or negativity. It seemed that one girl was really egging the other teens on, but she also could've been turning them against others to protect herself. 4mo

Suet624 @Hooked_on_books I love that you brought up the pickup driver. You‘re so right… 4mo

Suet624 Taylor - needing Annie to go with her to the school but then, once there, being brave and desperate enough to go inside the school on her own - was the character that we knew more about and so it makes sense that‘s the character we focus on. But I appreciated how many other possibilities we encountered along the way- those who help, those who hinder, and those that hurt. 4mo

MeganAnn @Hooked_on_books yes, the pickup driver stood out to me as well and also the people in the back of the truck who helped lift Annie into it and find her space to sit. 4mo

MeganAnn I loved how the characters she meets along the way each seem to show another side of humanity. We see good and bad and in between and I think it makes her journey through the disaster of the city more realistic. Of course Taylor is memorable since we get to know more about her with Annie, but I also think the brief moments with all these other people are just as important. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Great question! Those side characters really did pack a punch. I‘m with everyone who mentioned Taylor. I‘d be crawling into that brick pile that used to be a school too, searching for my child by any means necessary. An aside in the next comment [with a spoiler] that doesn‘t have to do with the book but happened while I was reading it and related to this scene mentioned above. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole My second grade teacher‘s grown son (late 40s) went missing in our area while I was reading this book. He‘s a brilliant man but dealt with mental illness throughout his life. He left home around a boat ramp and the search party gathered there. I‘ll never get the image of his mother sitting there day after day at his last known location. Tragically, he was located deceased after a week. It brought to mind Taylor‘s reaction to her missing child. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Also, the husband and wife bikers really hit hard. Annie showed such a kindness to them both. 4mo

CBee @Chelsea.Poole that‘s just horrible 💔 4mo

Maggie4483 Maybe it‘s my “Murderino/Crime Junkie” side coming out, but the potentially or explicitly dangerous characters (guy in van, guy near bridge, teens) that stuck with me the most. It reminded me of The Walking Dead, where you think the villain in the story is going to be one thing (zombies there, earthquake here), but it‘s the people that you have to watch out for. The zombies and/or tectonic plates are just doing what comes naturally to them… 4mo

Maggie4483 When there is a big natural disaster like this, I think the news tends to show only the best of humanity-people providing medical aid, helping clear rubble, handing out food and water-but there will always be those who take advantage in these situations. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole @Maggie4483 excellent point! Also makes me think of The Last of Us. 4mo

Reggie @Rissreadswithcats I don‘t know if you saw these posts but we had a camp Litsy about it where we had a read along and there were 3 discussion questions. these might be entertaining to you. 1mo

52 likes46 comments

Tilt | Emma Pattee

#CampLitsy25 question 2

Let‘s discuss the title (and maybe the bird on the cover?)!

Susanita The literal tilt during the aftershock at the closed bridge was alarming! The story of the bird was very sad to me. (edited) 4mo

mcctrish The cover made no sense until it did and it was bittersweet. The entire story was one where Annie was trying to get her footing, first as a playwright, in a relationship, in a job she didn‘t really want but was good at and needed, in a relationship, pregnant, in a disaster. The title was kind of brilliant 4mo

AmyG @mcctrish YES. I kept thinking how life tilts one way, then another. Her marriage, how it was not “tilting” or leaning in a good direction. I, too, thought the title was perfect. 4mo

See All 37 Comments

ImperfectCJ I think the title fits well. Some of the tilts I noticed: sitting with the cyclist (and deciding to leave), her observation of Taylor and other parents at the school, the bridge scene and having no way to get to Dom, her recollections of the sneaker wave and her mom's birds. All push her towards a self-reliance and confidence in her own strength that I don't think she had before. 4mo

Butterfinger I agree with @mcctrish her stability was her mother, and then her husband. It was a brilliant title. I think, when there was no where else to go, was when she decided she was the only one who she can lean on. She was so strong when she fought back. The bird...just encapsulates her feelings towards the mom. It didn't do anything for me. It could have been the caterpillar, broken bridge, anything. 4mo

DGRachel This is fascinating to me because I didn‘t even think about the title once I started the book. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ 4mo

Jas16 The title was well chosen. You go into the story just thinking it refers to the earthquake and then realize it captures so much more. 4mo

Bookwormjillk I agree with everyone- it was a good title. The literal tilt of the aftershock was most memorable to me. 4mo

Zuhkeeyah The title is perfect. Everything is shifting for Annie literally and figuratively. The world no longer makes sense as it was because a big change is here. 4mo

BkClubCare @ImperfectCJ - excellent thoughts 4mo

BkClubCare Yes, how off balance you feel physically and morally, all of it. Constantly unsettled. 4mo

BarbaraBB I agree with everyone. Such a well chose title. Annie has tilted into a new reality: one where survival is about carrying forward with a new clarity about what matters. 4mo

squirrelbrain The more you think about it, the more places you can see how perfect the title is. 4mo

vonnie862 The title matched the book. Everything was shifting: the physical world and Annie's life. 4mo

Deblovestoread II was glad we finally figured how the bird related because it didn‘t seem to fit what is a perfect title. 4mo

yourfavouritemixtape What @squirrelbrain said: I notice the more I think about it, the more perfect the title becomes. And I also like the fact that the word itself feels almost… soft? And not at all like the horror she lives through. 4mo

JamieArc @yourfavouritemixtape I agree that the title feels a bit soft. I still think it‘s a good title. I think a lot of her relationship with her husband. I imagine it tilting and tilting until eventually it‘s going to fall over. 4mo

Christine Well said, @mcctrish ! Including about the bird. And I realize design/visuals are subjective but the cover was not for me!! I love a house finch (the most prevalent bird in our backyard), but I was planning to skip this one until it became a #CampLitsy25 pick, in large part, I think, bc of the cover! 🤦‍♀️ (Glad I didn‘t skip!) 4mo

GatheringBooks I love the question. I think one pivotal “tilting” moment for Annie was when she went back home after feeling out of sorts in her 1st semester in NY - what would have happened if she stayed? Or if she did not marry her husband for health insurance, another tilting moment; & finally her husband‘s decision to lie & go to that audition thing which led to Annie‘s miles-long trek. It‘s the little decisions we make that make a world of difference 4mo

Megabooks I never gave it a thought until Barbara wrote this question. I can see what all of you are saying. I can also think of it as “tilt“ in a pinball machine - are things stuck until you give it a shake? I'd say Annie was certainly stuck in a lot of ways. The aftermath of this will greatly change her and her child's life. 4mo

Ruthiella @GatheringBooks Great point! So many decisions that led her to be where she was at that moment. 4mo

Lesliereadsalot The tilt affected everything in Annie‘s world, so it‘s a much larger tilt than just the earthquake. It‘s a tilt of how she will now perceive herself, and Dom were he to show up. One big tilt changes all the other aspects of her life. 4mo

willaful Some of the other editions had a raccoon on the cover, which may make more symbolic sense, but I hate it. 4mo

CBee It‘s a perfect title - not much to add as I agree with everything said here. The bird was odd at first and then it wasn‘t - that was a difficult part for me (my own loss and symbolism of birds in my life too). 4mo

mcctrish @GatheringBooks yes!!!! 4mo

Jas16 @Megabooks I like your thought about the pinball machine. 4mo

Hooked_on_books I hadn‘t thought about the metaphorical meaning of the title, only the literal one, but you‘re absolutely right! It adds depth to the title, linking it to all the life events in the book. 4mo

TEArificbooks I agree with everyone here life is being tilted figuratively with a baby and realizing her husband will never grow up and do responsible things for her and her child. 4mo

TEArificbooks I think another pivotal tilt was the bike riders. On a normal day, if someone is hurt you stay and help until first responders come. But knowing they weren‘t coming really changed things. It was her first oh things are really bad moment. Yes she survived the earthquake and new things were bad, but it was her first situation that showed all fast humanity devolved. 4mo

BarbaraJean @mctrish YES. I actually felt like the circumstances of Annie‘s life as they were revealed made the earthquake a little too on the nose as a metaphor! The title was perfection. There were a couple pivotal tilts for me. When Annie decided to head downtown to find Dom once she reached his work and discovered he‘d called out, and then on the bridge when she can‘t get through to where he would be. Those two shifts are almost reversals of each other. 4mo

BarbaraJean @yourfavoritemixtape @JamieArc Yes, the title seems like a huge understatement. These are jolts and ruptures and irreversible breaks, rather than a small tilt! But I love the sense of being off-balance that the title evokes. I think that‘s perfect for the aftermath of the violent ruptures Annie goes through here. 4mo

Suet624 @megabooks I really liked what you had to say about the pinball machine. So true. 4mo

MeganAnn I agree with everyone‘s comments about the title. At the beginning it simply seems to refer to the earthquake, but after finishing the book it has so much more meaning. I think the same can be said of the cover. The design with the bird feels absolutely perfect for this story after reading it. But, I don‘t know if I would have read it off the cover alone had it not been a camp pick. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Loved the title. Loved the cover art with the bird 🥺 I perked up at use of the word “tilt” throughout, used in several situations without reference to the earthquake. 4mo

Maggie4483 I kept staring at that bird trying to figure out what it had to do with the story…and didn‘t notice the wire legs until just before I got to that scene. When her mom comes home without selling a single bird was heartbreaking. We all eventually come to the realization that our parents aren‘t perfect and infallible. But seeing your parent‘s vulnerability or insecurity, especially after a “failure” is on a whole different level. 4mo

Reggie @Rissreadswithcats 1mo

Rissreadswithcats @Reggie Thanks! 1mo

48 likes37 comments

Tilt | Emma Pattee

#CampLitsy25 question 3

That was quite the ending. You must have thoughts about it. Talk to us!

Suet624 Questions 1 and 2 are not showing up on my feed and that also means that no one was tagged. 4mo

BarbaraBB @Suet624 you were too fast, they‘re here now 💕 4mo

Susanita I found the ending a little frustrating TBH. Somehow, though, I knew better than to expect everything to be tied up in a bow. 4mo

See All 51 Comments

mcctrish The ending was gripping - I was getting Walking Dead vibes sometimes in this because of how fraught it is for a pregnant woman to be alone in the world #idchoosethebear EP is a MASTER at building tension 4mo

ImperfectCJ The ending feels right to me. The teenagers attacking her (and her self defense) seem brutal in comparison with her previous thoughts/actions, but I read it as an indication she was moving out of her ambivalence and into Mama Bear mode. She's accepted doing this on her own, even not knowing what happened to Dom. The birth scene uses language similar to how I describe my son's birth (although I was in my dining room, not a park), which was cool. 4mo

AmyG At some point I realized the ending. And all her doubts about being a mother….her instinct took over. It was all inside of her all along. 4mo

DGRachel I did not like the near-feral teen scene. It felt thrown in for shock value, but I liked that she still hadn‘t found Dom. There was an inner strength that I think finally became clear to her when she gave birth alone, like @AmyG said. 4mo

Butterfinger I liked the ending. Everything that @AmyG said. Instincts took over. Pattee even described her as snarling when she tried to pass the teens. 4mo

Jas16 I agree with @DGRachel I didn‘t really like the scene with the teens but the rest of the ending felt right to me. 4mo

Bookwormjillk I would have liked a more detailed ending but I do understand why it ended that way. You can‘t really tie up something like that neatly. 4mo

Zuhkeeyah The ending was fitting for her journey. Annie found a new axis to spin around despite all the uncertainty she had experienced since the morning. 4mo

BarbaraBB To me the ending felt inevitable in a way that matched the rest of the novel‘s tone.There‘s a sense that Annie has tilted permanently into a new reality: one where survival is about carrying forward with a new clarity about what matters. But maybe that‘s how I want to see it! 4mo

BkClubCare I didn‘t “like” the scene with the teens either but I think it worked. She needed to be provoked into her fierceness and know she could be ready for what might be next. I am liking the book more and more upon reflection and I was on board for it before and during. (And the cover is perfect, too) 4mo

squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ @DGRachel @Jas16 @BkClubCare - the scene with the teens felt really jarring at first but looking back on it, it did fit with the narrative and led on to the ending. 4mo

vonnie862 I had mixed feelings about the ending. The attack from the teens and the birth were fitting but I needed closer when it came to Dom. 4mo

Deblovestoread The scene with the teens was tough but I think necessary so the we know at the end Annie has the determination to face the future with her baby in her now chaotic world. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @ImperfectCJ goodness! Can I ask, did you mean to have a home birth, or was it a surprise? I agree with your thoughts on the book, the ending felt good to me also. I like how you describe her going into mama bear mode. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @DGRachel I also like that she didn't find Dom, though I felt bad for her about it, I know she loves him but throughout the book IMO he did nothing but drag her down. She will be so much more without him. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I was a bit nervous about the ending, you can feel the birth coming, and I was getting flashbacks from a book I hated (Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy - I despise the birth scene in this) but I think this one worked for me, it lead to this cumulation of Annie's development, bringing in new life, to her whole new life - being stronger, not having Dom, knowing herself better, and being in a physically new world after the quake 4mo

JamieArc I didn‘t need her to find Dom. The reunion would have felt… I don‘t know. Not true to the reality of their relationship? But the abrupt ending left me a little “ugh.” I didn‘t love it. 4mo

yourfavouritemixtape I agree with @BkClubCare she needed to be provoked to have her do what she‘s able to. I knew the end had to be open, but somehow I kind of hoped that the story would end before her giving birth. I don‘t really know why. 4mo

GatheringBooks @mcctrish agreed about the mastery in building up tension - it was such a gripping read and it is the perfect length for it. There is a tightness to the narrative - kind of like pared down to its barest essence and so subtle too, that it works well. Yet the lines are snappy, the momentum ever moving forward, and the story pretty engaging thruout. I am a fan of ambiguous open endings, plus it felt fitting for me. 4mo

Megabooks I liked the scene with the teens. I think EP needed to show how far Annie would go on her own to save her life and the life of her child. I like that she finally finds her inner strength. Not knowing (or really believing) Dom was alive also made her realize she had to be strong enough to face the aftermath of the earthquake and parenthood by herself. TBH, at times I thought of him more as a millstone around her neck than a husband. 4mo

Christine I liked the ending! And I just assumed Dom was dead with the news of Old Town being flattened - anyone else? 4mo

Lesliereadsalot I agree with @Christine I liked the ending and I was sure Dom was dead. That “deadweight “ will not be around to hinder her growth and she and the baby will be just fine. 4mo

willaful It might be because I identified too much with my own situation, but I found the lack of closure upsetting. 4mo

CBee At first I wanted more, but as I thought about it further, it needed to end that way. I had a feeling it would end with her giving birth. I was actually surprised she made it that long! 4mo

mcctrish @DGRachel @ImperfectCJ @Jas16 the teen scene has been niggling in the back of my brain - it did feel shocking or had greater shock impact to me because the other moments of violence were fleeting. So many adults were tethered by concern/worry-their loved ones, their property, their jobs so they don‘t react poorly, but the teens have had their ties to normalcy cut so gang mentality reigns. 4mo

Jas16 @mcctrish it some ways it just seemed too soon for me for the teens to be roving around in violent packs. Which I know sounds silly but if it had been a day or two of chaos later- sure. 4mo

mcctrish @Jas16 I get that completely - these ones were already bad to the bone 😂 they needed no persuading to go to the dark side 4mo

Hooked_on_books I thought the ending both worked for the book and was realistic in the sense that such a major shock spurring early labor is unsurprising. It was also a nice ending for Annie character arc. 4mo

TEArificbooks At first I wanted more at the end. I wanted confirmation that Dom was dead. I wanted her to find her home was still standing and give birth inside her own home. And I wanted her to have a safe place to recover for a few days at least. But I respect the author ending it when she did and adding the teens drove the Annie‘s character development to believing she has to do it alone and she can do it alone. 4mo

BarbaraJean For me, the ending was both too abrupt and also the only way this could have ended. I assumed Dom was dead (I‘m with you @Christine and @Lesliereadsalot!), especially after the bridge. And with what‘s revealed about their marriage and how little support I assume Annie would have had as a mother—no matter what, it was still going to come down to just her and Bean in the end. It was just the most extreme version of that! ⬇ 4mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) So it was as expected and it felt right to me… but I was also disappointed. I wanted more answers, more resolution. I wanted to know definitively what had happened to Dom, to Taylor and her daughter, to so many others… but in the end, all that Annie was going to have was Bean. And that was enough. That felt right. 4mo

ImperfectCJ @ChaoticMissAdventures It was a planned homebirth, so MUCH different circumstances, but still the birth itself Pattee described in words that really resonated for me. (I wrote about the birth at length on my blog, if you happen to like birth stories: https://imperfecthappiness.org/2011/08/08/my-sons-birth-story-part-1-ramping-up/ It's my son's 16th birthday today, so I'm thinking about his birth a lot) 4mo

JamieArc One thing that drove me a little crazy was why did Annie think that Dom would stay where he was instead of going to look for her? It felt risky. I would have just gone home first. 4mo

Leniverse @JamieArc Agreed! Although it made more sense to me with the ending. Her instincts were telling her to find her partner. Although I kept thinking that nesting at home would make more sense, I am also reminded that I paced the hospital hallways for about 12 hours on the day I gave birth to my first child 😂 Being still didn't feel like an option. 4mo

Leniverse I hate open ended books. This wasn't even an ambiguous ending, it just stopped. The only thing that had been resolved was her feelings about her baby. And as cathartic as the birth scene was, unless Annie has watched a YouTube tutorial on how to safely cut the umbilical cord with a razor blade coated in someone else's blood, I hope whoever is out there with a flashlight has some medical training. 🤪 4mo

Suet624 @Christine yes, I assume Dom is dead. 4mo

Suet624 @Leniverse I laughed out loud when I read your comment about the book just stopping and how to safely cut the cord. I felt the same way. 4mo

Suet624 I am so glad that I‘ve been able to read other‘s thoughts about the book. The comments have offered some insights that I hadn‘t thought about. Generally speaking, I enjoyed reading the story but was disappointed by the ending. 4mo

MeganAnn @BarbaraBB I agree that the ending felt inevitable. I thought it matched the tone of the novel and that we are getting the parts of the story we need to show that with the birth of Bean, Annie‘s reality has tilted into being a mother. It didn‘t really bother me that we don‘t get more answers. 4mo

MeganAnn @Leniverse your comment made me laugh as well as @Suet624 🤣 I‘m just going to assume that whoever is out there knows what to do and will take care of Annie and Bean. 4mo

Christine @Lesliereadsalot @BarbaraJean @Suet624 I wonder whether Annie also immediately thought he was dead but pushed past that? Can't remember if that was alluded to in the book.
@JamieArc I 100% would have gone home!! Though I guess the fact that Annie didn't might be saying something about what she knew or thought she knew about Dom...
4mo

Lesliereadsalot @Christine I think she continued to think he was alive, but when she couldn‘t get to him, decided to go home. She couldn‘t let her mind go to where he might be dead. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole The only part about the book I didn‘t like was the teen girl attack. It felt…wrong, somehow. @DGRachel I agree. And @Jas16 4mo

Chelsea.Poole I agree with @christine and everyone else who assumes Dom is dead. And @JamieArc I agree—Annie should have gone home to find him. I thought about what I would do in her situation and I like to think I‘d go home, but who knows how I‘d react in such a disaster. I‘m usually the panicking type. (edited) 4mo

Well-ReadNeck @Leniverse Yes! 💯 4mo

rockpools @Zuhkeeyah Love your comment about her finding a new axis to spin round - and describes really well her relationship with her Mum and with Dom. The whole day has been a conversation with Bean, so ending with her birth seemed right, even if everything is unresolved. 4mo

Maggie4483 I think we‘re all so used to disaster movies, where the MC‘s husband (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) would show up at just the right moment to rescue her. Real life‘s not like that; it will likely be weeks or months before Annie knows what happened to Dom (if ever). So I think the ending, while somewhat unsatisfying, was more realistic. 4mo

Reggie @Rissreadswithcats 1mo

42 likes51 comments

MyNamesParadise

Tilt | Emma Pattee

so-so

I‘m glad this audiobook was short. It‘s basically a stream of consciousness of a woman as she goes through a day after a major earthquake strikes. I wasn‘t that entranced with the main character & there wasn‘t as much action as I thought there‘d be. I guess I need something with plot to keep me interested. This was recommended by someone whose recommendations I don‘t usually care for so now I know better. Wasn‘t the worst book but nothing special.

30 likes1 stack add

Christine

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

Glad to finally know why that bird is on the cover!! 😆

Liked this overall and in the end found it more moving than I thought I would halfway through. Looking forward to Saturday's chat!

squirrelbrain Looking forward to the weekend too! 4mo

59 likes1 comment

Bookwormjillk

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

Oh man this was stressful. Can‘t wait to talk about it on Saturday. #CampLitsy

squirrelbrain So stressful! 4mo

87 likes1 comment

TheBookDream

Tilt | Emma Pattee

so-so

Finished it, still not sure how I feel. Glad it was a library book at least. #camplitsy25 #summerreads #summerjob

squirrelbrain #camplitsy discussions often help to clarify books and feelings about them, when you‘re not sure…. 4mo

BarbaraBB Yes please read last week‘s discussion. It‘s so helpful to make sense of the book. On Saturday we‘ll discuss the second half. I‘ll tag you! 4mo

TheBookDream @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB yes I will get to the discussion soon 🙂 4mo

28 likes3 comments

Tilt | Emma Pattee

Earthquake prep.

#camplitsy25

Hooked_on_books Can you imagine the city in ruins and one single bridge surviving? WOW. Not an easy thing to think about. 4mo

squirrelbrain 😱 4mo

BarbaraBB You mentioned this too last week. Pretty frightening 4mo

39 likes3 comments

Susanita

Tilt | Emma Pattee

This was a bit intense! I won‘t say much more until the discussion Saturday except…it‘s interesting timing that I‘ve seen some stories about recent earthquake swarms at Mt. Rainier.

Anyway, I‘m chipping away at my #14books14weeks list. Nine down, five to go, and sixteen total books read.

Liz_M

CBee I loved it! 4mo

squirrelbrain Very intense! 4mo

55 likes2 comments

Jas16

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

I started this coming off of a minor slump and was so relieved that it was so propulsive. A nine months pregnant woman trying to make it across Portland on foot after a major earthquake, cue the tension and anxiety. The pages almost turned themselves and yet I didn‘t looove this as much as everyone else at #camplitsy seems to. It was like a good action movie- thrilling in the moment but not overly impactful. Still a pick. #14books14weeks Book 13

squirrelbrain Great review! ❤️ 4mo

Lesliereadsalot Exactly! 4mo

BarbaraBB I agree! 4mo

Suet624 I‘m with you. 4mo

67 likes4 comments

Butterfinger

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

A survivor tale- how does an expectant mother keep herself and her unborn child safe after the BIG ONE occurs? Intense!!! #CampLitsy @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks

Megabooks Very intense for sure! 4mo

squirrelbrain It certainly was! 4mo

BarbaraBB That‘s the best one word description 4mo

50 likes3 comments

TheBookDream

Tilt | Emma Pattee

So far not really liking this…#camplitsy25 #summerreading

26 likes

Tilt | Emma Pattee

Where it all began.

Running errands then hoping to finish this one today!

AmyG Ha! 4mo

Ruthiella 😂 Remember, if there is an earthquake, grab your bag and your keys! (edited) 4mo

Bookwormjillk Hang on to your purse! 4mo

BarbaraBB Thank you, so cool to see this. And you are well prepared for that earthquake 😉 4mo

Susanita @Ruthiella @Bookwormjillk 💯 4mo

55 likes5 comments

Chelsea.Poole

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

Imagine being heavily pregnant with your 1st child, waiting to get a crib until you‘re about due. Finally making it to IkEA to pick one up and an earthquake hits. The set up already sounded like a good read but Pattee takes it to the next level with Annie, our pregnant narrator who spends every other chapter ruminating on her past —on her mother and partner. We end up with both a page turner and a meaningful look at grief, motherhood, partnership.

Suet624 Great place to read! 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Absolutely loved this. Relatable. Both funny but also emotional and an anxiety-inducing page turner with dystopian vibes. What more could a reader want?! An fab #camplitsy25 selection that‘s going to make my best of the year! 4mo

Chelsea.Poole @Suet624 it was the best air bnb we‘ve ever stayed in…absolutely lovely and in the best, most peaceful setting. Deep in the woods along a river. 4mo

See All 10 Comments

Suet624 @Chelsea.Poole Where was it? 4mo

Chelsea.Poole @Suet624 Lewisburg WV 4mo

Suet624 Hmmm. I‘ve never been there. Might need to check it out! 4mo

Hooked_on_books If I found that reading spot, I‘m not sure I‘d ever leave! 🤩 4mo

squirrelbrain Great review! And I agree with Holly @Hooked_on_books - that looks like the best place to read! 4mo

BarbaraBB Fantastic backdrop! I‘d stay there if I were you 😉 (edited) 4mo

Christine Excellent review and taste in Airbnbs! 4mo

88 likes2 stack adds10 comments

cariashley

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

I loved this book. I couldn‘t put it down and read way ahead for #camplitsy25 - oops. Maybe it‘s because I was pregnant so recently but Annie really struck a chord with me; I related hard to so much of the writing about impending motherhood (like calling her unborn baby a “tiny unfurled soul” - 🥹). It‘s a tense and unsettling story that‘s harrowing to read, but I found it to be so well done. Excited for next week‘s discussion!

CBee I couldn‘t stop - finished it a couple days ago! So good. 4mo

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! 🥰 4mo

AmyG Yep, I flew theough this one. 4mo

68 likes3 comments

britt_brooke

Tilt | Emma Pattee

so-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Mixed feelings on this one. Unique premise, good writing, but Annie frustrated me to death. Starting with waiting until nine months pregnant to buy a crib. That set the tone for me. Aside from that, the story is creative, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Texreader Ha! I haven‘t read this one yet, but I feel the annoyance—waiting that late to buy a crib, that‘s just 🫣 4mo

britt_brooke @Texreader It really made me mad. 😂 4mo

BkClubCare Ditto! Why did you wait so long?! 4mo

See All 12 Comments

Ruthiella Me too. Being in her head was exhausting. So many questionable decisions. 4mo

britt_brooke @BkClubCare Right?! 😬 4mo

britt_brooke @Ruthiella Exhausting is accurate! 4mo

BarbaraBB I get you and felt frustrated by Annie too but reading today‘s #CampLitsy25 discussion made me me feel much more sympathetic to her. She is so alone. I can highly recommend it. @Texreader @Ruthiella 4mo

squirrelbrain It‘s so interesting when we all take different things from a book! 4mo

britt_brooke @squirrelbrain Yes! 4mo

britt_brooke @BarbaraBB I‘ll have to read your discussions! 4mo

Cathythoughts Interesting! I‘m not sure if I want to invest the time in it. Feels like a bit of a sensation … I‘ll try a sample. Your review is taking away my FOMO feeling 😁 Thankyou x 4mo

britt_brooke @Cathythoughts Maybe it‘ll work for you? Good luck!! 4mo

83 likes12 comments

Deblovestoread

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

I LOVED this book. It created some anxiety but the way it‘s told gives relief from the intensity. I only have one small quibble. Seaside used to be a bit tatty back in the day with its arcade, carnival rides and snack booth at the end of the turnaround. And we avoid it like the plague in the summer but I think it‘s come along way from tatty.

Looking forward to the discussion next week.

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! ❤️ 4mo

Hooked_on_books It‘s still a *little* tatty 😉 4mo

82 likes2 comments

JenReadsAlot

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

Another great #camplitsy25 pick! @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks

47 likes

DGRachel

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

I don‘t want to say much about this because discussion for #CampLitsy25 continues, but I went into this knowing NOTHING about it. I took one look at the cover and groaned, knowing it was going to be tedious Lit Fic that I‘d have to force my way through. Campers, you have my sincerest apologies for my attitude and doubt. This pulled me in from the second the earthquake hit and I couldn‘t put it down. It‘s raw and real, heartbreaking and brilliant.

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB Glad you gave it a chance ❤️ 4mo

squirrelbrain Fabulous review! ❤️ 4mo

DGRachel @BarbaraBB What are you all doing to me? What is all this literary fiction that I‘m actually, gasp!, enjoying! I‘m horrified! What is happening to me? 😱😱🤣🤣🤣 4mo

See All 7 Comments

Megabooks Lololololol!!! So glad you enjoyed it. Def a gripping read!! 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Agreed, I loved it! 4mo

Butterfinger 😆 4mo

Suet624 Haha. Glad you liked it. 4mo

63 likes7 comments

Kitta

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow. #camplitsy25 favourite so far! I wouldn‘t have picked it up otherwise so I‘m glad it was a pick.

Heavily pregnant and in an IKEA when the earthquake hits, Annie must walk home through Portland to find her husband and get home. Lots of devastation to witness, she reflects on her life.

I loved this. Highly recommend.

#camplitsy
#litsycrafters

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! ❤️ 4mo

DGRachel I love that blanket! 🤩 It‘s beautiful. 4mo

Kitta @DGRachel thank you! It‘s my first attempt at a crochet blanket! I‘m happy with how it turned out. The pattern is Cosy Days Daisy Blanket by AllAboutAmi 🌼 4mo

See All 6 Comments

tpixie Lovely 4mo

Kitta @tpixie thank you! 4mo

tpixie @Kitta 🌼 4mo

38 likes6 comments

jenniferw88

Tilt | Emma Pattee

so-so

💯% not surprised that this wasn't a hit for me!

#52bookclub25 #summerconnectionschallenge #authorcomesfromcountrypreviousbookwassetin #bookthree

#atozultimatechallenge #b #charactername #t #booktitle @AudiobookingWithLeah

#aty25 #titledoesntcontainthelettere @BarbaraBB

@squirrelbrain @Megabooks

Megabooks Glad you're joining us for the discussion, though! 4mo

Leniverse I'm half way now and I'm not sure if I agree that the flaws of the characters aren't a focus. She's making some extremely questionable decisions in practically every chapter 🤪 And her husband is definitely flawed. 4mo

jenniferw88 @Leniverse yeah - I should probably change that, but I never know how to answer that question! 🤣 4mo

45 likes3 comments

Tilt | Emma Pattee

It‘s August and I‘m taking over the hosting from Meg for our final two #CampLitsy25 books. Today we‘re discussing Part One of Tilt.

As ever, if you‘ve read ahead, please try not to include spoilers for those who haven‘t.

Also, I‘ll only be tagging all of you in this question. Scroll down to find the other two questions. Enjoy!

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 4mo

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @Cbee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine (edited) 4mo

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose (edited) 4mo

See All 66 Comments

BarbaraBB @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @Maggie4483 4mo

BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ (edited) 4mo

BarbaraBB @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @jhod 4mo

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @MicheleinPhilly @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn (edited) 4mo

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks (edited) 4mo

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape 4mo

Meshell1313 Ooh I think it def adds more drama and makes the story more high stakes. I cared about her survival more and her situation seemed way worse because we were worried about the baby. 4mo

Kitta I think it‘s provided an interesting way for her to tell the story - directly to the baby. And yes as @Meshell1313 said it adds drama! I cared about her either way but it certainly seems more high risk given she‘s heavily pregnant. 4mo

jenniferw88 I'm probably going to be the #unpopularopinion here, but I think she'd have done the same things, pregnant or not. 4mo

Lesliereadsalot I agree with @jenniferw88 Of course she was trying to save two lives, but at the end of the day, everyone tries to save themselves. I couldn‘t stop thinking about how cumbersome it was to be heavily pregnant! 4mo

Ruthiella Would she have behaved differently if not pregnant? If anything she would have been perhaps more reckless? The whole book I was on edge. She thought more of her husband than her own or her child‘s life, it seemed. 4mo

squirrelbrain I agree Kitta - it was a good way to tell the story. Otherwise there would have had to have been another person with her all the time, or it would have been a stream-of-consciousness inner thoughts-type book. 4mo

BarbaraBB I agree the pregancy added to the drama - 36 weeks 😱 @Lesliereadsalot I kept thinking about that too, but I agree with @jenniferw88 in thinking that she‘d make the same decisions without being pregnant. Like @Ruthiella points out, she seems to hardly think of her baby. 4mo

Megabooks @Ruthiella Me too. I was on edge. I think it also made the periods she reflected on the relationship with her own mother more poignant and impactful. I have heard there is some brain fog in pregnancy, and I have that with my chronic illnesses. Her actions and the split between being single-minded and not always rational is reminiscent of that for me. 4mo

jenniferw88 @Ruthiella this 100%! She doesn't seem at all bothered about her own life, nor her baby's. She is SO NOT ready to be a parent. 4mo

JamieArc I think one of the aspects that is directly affected by the pregnancy is how others perceive her or help her. More people are aware of her because of her pregnancy, and we as readers see that. And would she be getting the help she is if she weren‘t pregnant? 4mo

TrishB Jeez, harsh judgements 😁 first baby/pregnancy, hard to imagine a child or being a mother! I don‘t think it‘s that she didn‘t think of the baby, she was just panicking. I mean she made some dodgy choices. I think as @squirrelbrain says, it‘s a good story telling device. 4mo

Bookwormjillk @jenniferw88 I agree. Other than the physical issues she didn‘t really seem to think about the baby. The big thing though is that without the baby she would have been at work instead of crib shopping at IKEA. 4mo

jenniferw88 @TrishB, my medical conditions may be influencing my judgement for this book! As I've said somewhere else on one of my posts, I probably can't have children, so I can't empathise with Annie at all because I'll never be in her position. 4mo

TrishB @jenniferw88 no one is ever ready. It‘s life changing. 4mo

BarbaraBB @TrishB You‘re absolutely right, it‘s life changing, and I think she did what she thought was best - under pressure of the earthquake and not knowing where Dom was. I think she would have made those decisions anyway, mainly because she isn‘t a mother yet. She‘s a lonely panicky woman at this day! (edited) 4mo

Susanita She was “talking” to the baby constantly, for one thing. Yeah, she would be a hot mess regardless, but I think the story would have been different if she wasn‘t pregnant. Also, saving her life IS saving the baby‘s life. 4mo

mcctrish I agree with @TrishB that first babies/pregnancy are hard - no matter what you read it‘s a constant feeling of being out of control imo, I think Annie feels that on so many levels, she isn‘t exploring her dream job, finances are a shit show, her husband is going rogue, and there‘s an earthquake. She‘s lost herself and not having her mother is 💔 4mo

TrishB @mcctrish yes- that‘s a great summary. 4mo

TrishB @BarbaraBB she definitely is a lonely panicky woman! Felt for her. 4mo

vonnie862 Yes, I think her pregnancy added to her decisions and how people perceived her. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole I think the late stage pregnancy added to the emotional impact of the book—both in the present day earthquake aftermath and the lens through which we get Annie‘s past (her mother, her partner). It changed both others‘ perception of Annie and her own interactions/thoughts with the crisis (the little boy alone in IKEA, etc.) And I think that‘s pretty much how it is in real life. Motherhood colors everything: both the way I am seen and the way I see. 4mo

DGRachel Nothing new to add, but I think the pregnancy made it the experience physically harder for her. She‘d still be a hot mess if she wasn‘t pregnant, but I can see myself being just as lost, especially if I was alone. I agree with @JamieArc about it impacting the way others perceive and help her. I think if she hadn‘t been pregnant, she‘d have been invisible. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I have a moderate tokophobia, so normally I would never read a book centering pregnancy in this way, but I do think everything is heightened a bit by it. I am with @Kitta it provided an interesting way to narrate the story, @Megabooks pregnancy brain fog added to disaster confusion, I honestly thought she was holding up pretty well so far. I cannot imagine the pain in the body, I thought Pattee did a great job describing it. 4mo

AmyG Yes wha mt you have all said. I believe it changed how she might have reacted. We will bever know. It wasnmt just her, it was her and the baby. I also agree it changed how th e reader reacted to her. I may not have had as much compassion for her if it was just her. 4mo

Zuhkeeyah Her pregnancy definitely played a role in how others interacted with her. Annie seems to be mostly ignoring the existence of the baby despite being late in pregnancy. There is also an element of shock to it all that leads to some decisions I don‘t agree with. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @jenniferw88 I agree she is not prepared, but more so what the heck is she doing with that man, having a baby with him??? @Susanita yes, constantly talking to Bean, I almost think having someone to constantly talk to is a bit grounding for her. My stream of conscious would have been out of control, but it seems like she is able to talk to Bean in a way to get her thoughts a bit more in order than if she was just talking to herself. 4mo

GatheringBooks Was laughing out loud as I was reading the responses in this thread. Poor pregnant Annie lols. I echo the sentiment that pregnant or not, Annie would most likely make the same choices. However, I do sense her efforts to protect her Bean - she is very much aware of her own baby, but perhaps she overestimated her own capacity and underestimated the chaos and danger? As a first time hormonal mother, I think she would go even crazier if she went home. 4mo

Jas16 I agree that her pregnancy had a large impact in the ways others perceived her and in her physical capabilities, I think in some ways though the feeling of not feeling being prepared for the way a baby is going to change her life and the way she reacts to an unexpected earthquake, digging deep insider herself are connected. 4mo

Deblovestoread Not much new to add. I think she might be a bit better prepared for Bean‘s birth if she had a partner not just a husband. 4mo

Butterfinger While reading, I was comparing myself to Annie, not really thinking about her not being pregnant. I remember being scared out of my mind and being very rash when I was at that stage. I locked my keys in the car when I started laboring so I calmly went back into the trucks top restaurant to grab a chair. I was not going to have my baby at a truckstop. My husband, who stupidly was not panicking, said let's just call someone. I WAS NOT IN A DISASTER 4mo

Butterfinger I couldn't imagine being in that situation. I know I would walk to my husband's workplace to be with him. Maybe, if she hadn't been pregnant, she would have been more willing to offer aid to others hurt far more than she. 4mo

Hooked_on_books The physical challenges alone for her would have been so hard. She‘s late in pregnancy, so she‘s quite front heavy having to navigate broken ground. She‘d also have leg swelling and reflux at this stage. It would change everything compared to having to deal with all that. 4mo

CBee So strange - I never got a notification! Will check out all of the questions soon. @BarbaraBB Litsy being glitchy 🤪 4mo

CBee I kept thinking that what she was doing was impossible. But somehow, she did it. Being pregnant definitely influenced her decisions. 4mo

BarbaraBB That‘s frustrating @CBee I did tag you. I hope you‘ll enjoy the discussion nevertheless 🤍 4mo

CBee @BarbaraBB no worries on my end! I know Litsy can be wonky sometimes 🙂 4mo

willaful I'm maybe the only person here who has actually been this situation - NOT, thank goodness, pregnant! -- and getting home to my then boyfriend (now husband) was the only thing I cared about. I made what in retrospect were very foolish decisions and could have been killed.

I feel no one is giving Annie credit for listening to her intuition, turning down a bad ride for example. She's doing her best in incredibly dire circumstances. 4mo

peaKnit @AmyG I agree, I would not have had as much empathy if she wasn‘t pregnant either. I totally think her pregnancy influenced her decisions. 4mo

TrishB @willaful I hear you! I haven‘t been in this situation (thankfully!) but I understood the making decisions in a stressful situation and that‘s just the way it is. Some harsh judgements here 😁 4mo

BarbaraBB @willaful You‘re right, I cannot imagine those circumstances. Next week we‘ll discuss her encounters with people along the way! 4mo

cariashley Gah, this was such a tough read 8 weeks postpartum but better to read it now than when I was 37 weeks! The whole time I just kept thinking she was in shock and on autopilot out of sheer desperation, which I can‘t imagine would have been quite as visceral if she wasn‘t pregnant. I cannot imagine. My ankles were swelling so bad in heat at the end and it pained me reading about her walking such distances! 4mo

BkClubCare Fifty comments!! 4mo

BkClubCare Okay, I thought it insane that she was in Ikea and attempting to move/lift boxes; that she wasn‘t getting any help and that was before the earthquake. I was super happy that she connected to the girl again to assist getting out of the store. 4mo

BkClubCare @cariashley - it pained me for her! All that walking! Bad shoes!! No water!!! Wow. 4mo

BarbaraBB @cariashley You could relate to Annie very well much I think, and you describe her feelings perfectly. 4mo

Suet624 @BkClubCare Her attempt to lift boxes! Insane. :) 4mo

Suet624 I loved reading all these comments. I don't think she would have acted any differently if she weren't pregnant - she'd still want to get to her husband. That's anyone's first thought, isn't it? :) 4mo

Maggie4483 Only a day late this time instead of a week! Woo hoo! I kinda don‘t agree with everyone about Annie‘s actions. I think she‘s definitely looking out for Bean (she‘s always very aware and protective of her belly), but it seems instinctive, not intentional. And her guilt at leaving the little boy in IKEA, and her hesitation to leave Becky‘s body, makes me think that, were she NOT pregnant, she might have become a helper. (edited) 4mo

Maggie4483 @willaful - I think that‘s only natural. I imagine after a disaster all you want is to be with your loved ones, if anything just as reassurance that they‘re okay. I was a freshman in college on 9/11, away from home for the first time. Even though no one I knew was anywhere near NY or DC, but I called all my loved ones. I‘ll never forget my grandfather laughing at me and telling me that Nacogdoches, Texas was one of the safest places I could be. 4mo

Well-ReadNeck I def think her pregnancy makes a huge difference. For the reasons everyone mentioned, but also because this baby will be coming at some point in the near future and she doesn‘t have the option to hunker down and wait and take things slowly. She needs to get to civilization and medical care. 4mo

sarahbarnes I‘m sorry to have missed this discussion @BarbaraBB - I‘ve been so distracted lately and haven‘t even read this book yet. I hope you‘re doing well. 💕 4mo

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes No problem of course, I just hope you‘re doing well. Been missing you on Litsy 🤍 4mo

ImperfectCJ Annie seems incredibly aware of her baby (I mean, she's talking to it the whole time), but it seems like she's thinking of the baby as a part of her, which it basically is. And really, the baby is in the safest place it can be, so she doesn't really need to think of it separately. She's just got a need to bring her little family together and feel safe, and it's not clear to her how to make that happen. 4mo

ImperfectCJ I've no idea if she'd act differently not pregnant, but I suspect she would have less focus on one goal. And without Bean to talk to, she might be a lot more panicked. 4mo

BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ wow you‘re late to the party but you add a lot to think about! Very insightful 🤍 4mo

sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB 💕💕 thank you. My work is very connected to all the terrible things happening here and it feels very overwhelming these days. I still love Litsy and miss seeing you on here; I hope to have more time to be back on here soon. 4mo

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I am very sorry for you. I can‘t imagine how that must be but I guess it is frightening and frustrating. I hope books and Litsy can continue to be a much needed way out 💝 4mo

46 likes66 comments

Tilt | Emma Pattee

#CampLitsy25

Let‘s discuss the two most important people in Annie‘s life: her mother and her husband!

Bookwormjillk I think Annie is starting to lose patience with her husband. Dating an underemployed actor is probably not as romantic when you have a baby on the way. Her mother is not as easy to sus out. Annie seems to view her positively but I'm not sure if that's because she recently died. Overall Annie seems pretty alone. 4mo

Lesliereadsalot My daughter, who still performs sometimes, dated many, many unemployed actors over many years and I know a lot about this genre of guys. Annie was amazing to have as good an attitude as she had for so long a time, so accepting of who her husband was. I felt for Annie, just her and the baby. 4mo

squirrelbrain Yes, I agree @Bookwormjillk @Lesliereadsalot - she seemed to have become frustrated with her husband. And that probably wasn‘t a one-sided view - the things she spoke about that he did / didn‘t do were factual and most people would be annoyed by them, not just her. Her feelings probably were heightened by the quake - a rather extreme example of another way she‘d been left to fend for herself. 4mo

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Ruthiella I think Annie is someone who probably could have used more friends in her life. Her entire emotional support is invested in two people, who are only human and mortal and so are not enough. I also think the husband should have found a way to perform (teaching, community theater, etc) rather than hanging on to a probably unrealistic dream of making it in LA. Also, they should have moved to LA. 4mo

Bookwormjillk @Lesliereadsalot I agree she hung in there for a long time 4mo

Megabooks @Ruthiella Speaking from personal experience, having a small social circle is especially noticeable when you're facing heavy things like death, pregnancy, and marriage problems. I felt for her a lot. Could she have made better choices? Yes. It's easy to feel stuck, though. She definitely seems to feel incredibly lonely. 4mo

BarbaraBB Regarding Annie‘s mother I think her absence inflates Annie‘s fears and heightens her introspection—a missing anchor as she wrestles with becoming a mother herself. And that husband. While he is sympathetic and committed, Dom chases approval and recognition far beyond their financial means. Annie is very much alone indeed @Megabooks @Ruthiella in facing all that‘s coming her way. (edited) 4mo

JamieArc I was wondering if she was romanticizing the past when she was talking about first meeting, dating, early years with her husband. But then, we probably all do that, especially when facing mortality. 4mo

TrishB I think it‘s making her think a lot. But I don‘t think they‘re new thoughts. Impending motherhood is scary enough without a support mechanism and many financial woes. 4mo

Susanita As @Ruthiella says, she needed a bigger support network. She‘s dealing with unresolved grief from losing her mother so abruptly, and her husband has proven himself to be untrustworthy. Even before being trapped by herself in the rubble, she felt alone. 4mo

Lesliereadsalot @JamieArc Agree with you here! I‘m sure she thought he would “grow out” of that early stage of auditions, evolve into someone else. Especially with a baby coming. Unfortunately, this kind of guy, never does let it go. @squirrelbrain She‘s sick and tired of being left to fend for herself, good point! 4mo

mcctrish I feel like Annie‘s mother was the last person to do something for Annie and Annie is exhausted doing everything, her husband seems nice but clueless to the amount of care he requires. The stress of looking for the next gig does get offset by the high of hoping, whereas Annie just has the grind 4mo

vonnie862 The earthquake may have triggered to how she's feeling about her mom and husband but if anything, she's coming to the realization of how she really feels. She's irritated with her husband and feeling guilt on how things ended with her mom. 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Her mom didn‘t come across as saintly to me, but just as a down to earth, supportive and caring mother. I liked that she created the boundary of “no more money”. Her husband is also not perfect but genuine and seems like he‘ll be a good dad. Or at least that‘s how Annie is operating at this point. She‘s still exasperated by him at times, seems realistic. 4mo

DGRachel It hadn‘t really clicked before, but yes. Annie is alone in her pregnancy. Her husband, no matter his feelings for her or the baby, is a child. She refers to him as Peter Pan, refusing to grow up. The earthquake is a chance for her to voice her anger and her grief. My issue with her mother was the encouragement to get married so Annie‘s husband could have dental insurance. 🤦🏻‍♀️ That doesn‘t seem like a great reason. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Bookwormjillk so very alone!! Her mother dies, her husband is useless, where are her friends? It is always bizarre to me when our characters have no friends. 4mo

AmyG I agree that her Mom was her rock, her anchor. With the earthquake she most likely felt the loss even more. As for the husband…can anyone blame her? She was the breadwinner while he was pursuing a dream with, at that point, low odds. I felt she gave up her dream for him and it was going nowhere. I also felt great disappointment on her part with him as things just didn‘t pan out as she thought. 4mo

Zuhkeeyah I agree with @mcctrish about her mom being the last person to focus on Annie. Her mom sounded like a practical person with limited means who passed that resiliency onto her daughter. Dom loves Annie but he‘s very committed to his personal goals which causes her needs to take a backseat. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Lesliereadsalot there were a couple of times she has mentioned that he wanted to move to more of an “acting scene“ and she has stopped it, I wonder how much of this is reflected in her having a good attitude with him for so long? 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella at one point, I think before they are married, she mentions he was acting and teaching acting on the side, but it was just a passing mentions so I did wonder what happened to that line of creativity and income. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks in my experience with disasters, pregnant or not, it is very hard to make the best choices. I kept yelling at her in my mind, go HOME. what are you doing. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @JamieArc agreed, I think we all romanticize the past. Especially in hard times. Not only is she nostalgic for life and love (being so lonely on her solo walk) but she needs to believe that she is walking towards something great. If she wasn't what would be the point of it all? 4mo

GatheringBooks @Chelsea.Poole i had the same impression of her mother: no-nonsense, caring, & as supportive as she can get given their limited means. I don‘t know if it is just me but Annie does not really strike me as the friendliest, most likeable person which may explain the absence of friends? Her ruminations & the way she describes people/circumstances suggest a dash of bitterness, sarcasm, a touch of standoffishness, like she is better than everyone else. 4mo

Jas16 I agree that she is scared and feeling the lack of support in the life. I do think she loves her husband but being pregnant changes her priorities quickly and being the supportive spouse is no longer as important as providing for their child. 4mo

GatheringBooks That being said, there is something very genuine and real and also broken about her - with all her missed opportunities and untapped potential that make her so complex. She has an open-eyed pragmatism that I also admire, and a predisposition towards mockery - even self-mockery, too, suggesting she can laugh at herself. But all these qualities do not necessarily scream Miss Congeniality. Lols. 4mo

Deblovestoread @DGRachel Same! Up to that point I thought mom was sensible but marrying to give him insurance ugh! And also shows him “I‘ll always bail you out” so he doesn‘t have to fix the problems, she will. 4mo

Susanita @ChaoticMissAdventures ITA that she should not have had a child with him. 4mo

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks Well put, she appears very genuine. Life has been tough for her and she doesn‘t know what to expect of it with a baby and she can‘t ask her mom. 4mo

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures Haha I too wanted her to just go HOME and kept yelling at her in my mind! 4mo

BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread @DGRachel That was not the best of advice I agree. So annoying too that he himself didn‘t take responsibility for his problems. He was always a victim, which is why she had to be strong all the time. 4mo

Butterfinger My views are most similar to @DGRachel and @Deblovestoread Of the two, she is the most mature and responsible. She is probably thinking, the dummy won't think of me so I had better go find him. Annie clearly misses her mother. That is one of the main reasons she wants to stay. The memories of childhood with her mom. 4mo

DGRachel @ChaoticMissAdventures As someone who doesn‘t have a social network, I can say it hits harder when the main characters don‘t have friends. I find I understand and empathize more. But also, yes. I keep thinking why didn‘t she go home. Wouldn‘t home be the best meeting place? (edited) 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @DGRachel yes, sorry, that sounded very judgemental on my part. I don't have a huge circle either and 2 of them would be on the other side of the big river, probably impossible to get to and the other 2 would be on the other side of the river she is going to cross, and with all the phones down. Even with a support group you can end up very alone. 4mo

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures me too. Home would make much more logical sense, which is one of the aspects where I really felt the brain fog whether it was because of or heightened by pregnancy or just the general fog of disaster everyone was dealing with. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks originally it made sense for her to go to the cafe. The cafe is between IKEA and home, but pivoting to cross the river is a wild choice. If she walks straight south down 60th she would be home! And we have zero clue where Dom is at this moment! I would assume he is trying to get across the river to her. Maybe (IDK, I don't trust the guy) 4mo

Meshell1313 @ChaoticMissAdventures yes! I am skeptical of him also! 4mo

Lesliereadsalot @ChaoticMissAdventures You think he‘s trying to get home to her? I think he‘s worried about his audition, haha! 4mo

Hooked_on_books I think the author made these choices to isolate Annie in her life from a writing craft perspective to heighten her isolation, and it really works. I feel like many people in that situation would be desperately trying to get to someone they care about, and for her to be focusing on just one person, because that‘s all she has, focuses the book. 4mo

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I think you‘re right. She only has one person to turn to, one who probably isn‘t worth her. It makes the book so good. 4mo

CBee Dom drives me crazy. I understand having a dream but you have to contribute in order to get there. You have to do more and you have to figure out priorities, which he hasn‘t done. I really feel like Annie was forced to give up her writing and success because he‘s so delusional about the next “big break.” (edited) 4mo

CBee @DGRachel I feel this. Not much of a social network for me either. Virtual, yes! But not a lot of people to turn to for help in my life 🤦‍♀️ 4mo

CBee I think Annie‘s just been generally disappointed by life, and losing her mother/best friend so suddenly was the last straw in a way. I liked her as a character. (edited) 4mo

TrishB @CBee I liked her too! 4mo

willaful @Hooked_on_books Can confirm! And being pregnant would make her even more focused on the one person she's been relying on for support. 4mo

CBee @TrishB 😊😊 4mo

cariashley @BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures ah same! I wanted her to just go home too. It was so frustrating! 4mo

cariashley I actually think the takes on Dom here are a little bit harsh, and I have pretty bad economic anxiety/financial stability issues. Annie herself started out wanting an artistic life and while she gave up and got a practical desk job, she‘s clearly not making a career out of it. I think they‘re actually a well matched couple in a lot of ways. (edited) 4mo

BkClubCare @Susanita - um, I had to look up “ITA” 🤣 (should I be embarrassed?! 😞) 4mo

BkClubCare @cariashley - ah, and that it is too easy to say, “they should‘ve written plays for Dom and worked together with a shared dramatic vision!!” But we all aren‘t the 1%. I know nothing. But she did seem to lack friends for someone who grew up in the same area. I have moved SO much; always jealous of those “in town + grew up together” friendships that I just never had. 4mo

BkClubCare And, if the big one (earthquake) is a known possibility, don‘t you think about “where are we going to meet?” - we always do this! We still joke about meeting at the doggie daycare where we LOVE the proprietors, BUT. They are in Massachusetts and we now live in Kansas 🫤 4mo

Suet624 I'm surprised by how people view Dom (although he was a shit for lying about where he would be). He is attempting to pursue his passion. Annie seems to have just stopped pursuing hers. I don't remember him telling her to do so. It just seemed to me that she just lost her ambition to write. Oh, I just saw that @cariashley had the same thought. 4mo

Maggie4483 I agree with @cariashley and @Suet624 - Dom is definitely not perfect, but he does seem to really love Annie. I think for both of them, the baby is still an abstract idea (although more so for Dom). I‘ve known a couple of “deadbeat dads” in my life, and one thing they had in common was a lack of ambition. I see in Dom the potential to step up once that baby is a real living, breathing, eating, pooping, crying person in the world. (1/2) 4mo

Maggie4483 (2/2) Annie also seems very rigid. I get her attachment to her home & mother‘s memory, but that‘s really all there is for her in Portland. There‘s an opportunity for compromise here. Dom probably isn‘t to become a movie star in LA, but he‘s definitely not going to in Portland. Give him the chance to pursue it, with the caveat that at the same time he has to contribute more to the household. 4mo

Leniverse Annie grew up with just her mother, no siblings and no father. There's been no mention of grandparents or other relatives either, so of course they were close. Her mother died suddenly and with Annie not even 30. And now she's pregnant with her first child, that her mother will never meet. My mother and I are kinda like oil and water but I still went to her for advice and support when I was expecting, and it was invaluable. 4mo

Leniverse Her life seems to be all work and supporting her husband's dream. All her friends have moved away or are living very different lives. I think Annie gave up on her dream too soon, and Dom has held on to his for too long (but this might change when the baby is born). I didn't like the lie, he should have stood his ground if it was that important to him. 4mo

ImperfectCJ I see Annie as never having been given space to feel all she needs to about her career disappointments, her mother's death, her pregnancy with a guy who's oblivious. She seems very...protective. Like when you have a bad stomachache or some other pain and are afraid to move and make it worse. I guess this can appear as rigid, but I think it's just self-protective. And just like the pressure between tectonic plates, it's got to give eventually. 4mo

ImperfectCJ It's Annie's being responsible and holding down a "real" job with benefits that allows Dom to follow his star, and he seems to have little appreciation for that reality and little patience for Annie's ambivalence about starting a family in this situation. There's so much riding on her and not much open conversation. But then, I roll my eyes at "pursuing one's passion," so that's my bias. 4mo

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Tilt | Emma Pattee

#CampLitsy25

The earthquake, the aftermath: it‘s frightening to read about, especially in times when natural disasters are happening more often. Let‘s talk about it a bit if you want to.

Lots of cliffhangers halfway through the book. We hope you‘ll join us next week for the remainder!

Meshell1313 Yes it def makes you think about what to do in that situation and if you can trust strangers to help you. In her situation why not make way to a hospital or police station? That‘s probably what I would have done. 4mo

Bookwormjillk What a stressful story! Overall I still think it's good to prepare, but so much of it seems to come down to luck. 4mo

jenniferw88 I've experienced quite a strong earthquake in Kefalonia - luckily, no damage was done, but it was scary. The water and Internet did actually come back quite quickly (I remember marking myself as safe on Facebook 🤣), so I think it is a very worst-case scenario in the book. We had no preparation as we hadn't experienced an earthquake before - nowadays we probably would have something ready. 4mo

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Kitta I was in a cat 5 hurricane once when I was living in Honduras for the summer during Uni. We went into the only concrete building (the scuba diving shop) and boarded the windows. We dragged all the mattresses in and food and prepared for the storm. That night we played cards and drank all the rum 😆 It was scary but also kind of fun? I was 19 and didn‘t have a sense of the devastation it could have caused. It seemed more like an adventure. 4mo

Lesliereadsalot You have to be in the right place at the right time when a catastrophe happens. There will always be good samaritans and there will always be bad guys! 4mo

squirrelbrain @Meshell1313 - that would be the rational thing to do, wouldn‘t it?! But who knows how we‘d behave! 4mo

Ruthiella @Meshell1313 Absolutely! There‘d be no book if she had behaved rationally, however. 😅 I agree with @Lesliereadsalot luck plays into it. Preparedness can only go so far. I think Katrina is a good example of a horrible situation where the disaster was overwhelming in a similar way. 4mo

Megabooks When I was a kid, they made a big deal about the possibility of an earthquake on the New Madrid Fault in Missouri near the Mississippi River. If it is strong enough, it would definitely impact my hometown (where I live now), but I don't know how much you could or should prepare for a fairly unlikely event. I guess at this point I'm more worried about civil war or more repression in the US than an earthquake! 😳 😳 4mo

Megabooks I'd like to think I'd be fairly calm because I was always pretty calm when facing emergencies in vet med when I was in practice, but I don't think you can really ever know. 4mo

JamieArc @Megabooks Yes, we definitely have more man-made catastrophes to worry about than natural ones! 4mo

JamieArc As I get older, I tend to let go of the desire to move out of Michigan because apart from a damaging tornado here or there (very infrequent), we are very safe from natural disasters. I feel like I would be like the narrator. Probably should do something, but I‘ll think about that later. 4mo

TrishB Only so much planning you can do. If your house collapses, your planning will change! 4mo

Bookwormjillk @TrishB it‘s like the MikeTyson quote “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” 4mo

TrishB @Bookwormjillk a very realistic approach! 😁 4mo

BarbaraBB @JamieArc Me too, I would think about it but not act upon it 🤦🏻‍♀️ Like @Megabooks I am most scared of the state of the world right now but @TrishB is right, only so much planning you can do. (edited) 4mo

TrishB @BarbaraBB I think I‘d drive myself crazy if I tried to plan for all eventualities!! 4mo

mcctrish I think I‘d want to get home but I wouldn‘t have left buying a crib until week 36. I also think once you start moving it would be hard to stop. I was so concerned when Annie was walking though, I could not stop reading cuz I had to know she was safe. 4mo

Susanita This was so stressful! If nothing else, I‘d make sure to hang onto my phone and purse 4mo

vonnie862 This is so scary but it is something I really need to plan for, especially living in Southern California. I think I would be better prepared if a natural disaster happened while I was at work because of all the drills, but when it comes to my family, I am not prepared. Do I go to them? Do we have a meeting point? Do we have enough supplies? 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Annie is relatable—I‘ve often done a few things to prepare for incidents (car kit in case of a wreck/extra batteries, etc) but it always just seems like one of those things I‘ll deal with later. Also, the people who do get super prepared are known as “prepers” and can take it too far?! But I don‘t live in fear of a natural disaster —more afraid of nuclear war 😱 and again that normally comes down to luck. 4mo

DGRachel I‘m fully aware that I‘m not prepared for any kind of disaster and it terrifies me. I mean, I have drinking was to last for a couple of weeks, and travel crates for the dogs, but that‘s about it. I‘d be just as lost as Annie, if not more so. 4mo

AmyG I felt the fear and stress of this. While I can be a nervous nellie, I am also calm in an emergency (I freak out later!). Where I live there is always the fear of fire. I have a go bag packed with important papers. I try not to think about it as I don‘t want to live in fear. 4mo

DGRachel @AmyG I was just about to edit my response because I realized how I react will depend on people around me. If people near me panic, I become really calm and sharp. If everyone around me calm and reasonable, I feel like someone needs to be panicked and therefore I will. 😂 4mo

AmyG @DGRachel Ha, yes. If everyone freaks it‘s hard to stay calm! 4mo

Zuhkeeyah As someone who moved from a low natural disaster state to one with a tornado season, I now have simple plans in place. During the peak of the season, I make sure to keep battery packs charged and to always have my phone on me. I think it will come down to luck if disaster does strike. The book did a great job portraying the need to stay moving. Home is a powerful draw when the world is unsteady. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Meshell1313 so living here, I will say, the route she is going, there are no hospitals, it is a weird industrial and poor area. She would have to go miles further south to get to the nearest hospital. There isn't even a fire house so far on the route she is taking. But yes, I have been mapping out so many other routes she could have taken, I do think mileage wise until she gets to the cafe she is going pretty good 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Bookwormjillk 100% down to luck. I don't know what she could have done to prepare for this. She lost her purse so has no money or car keys. The roads are toast, so even with a car IDK how far she would get, you prepare your house, maybe your car, but what if disaster strikes when you are not home? 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Kitta It is kind of fun? (Well until people get seriously hurt or worst) but I have been through many hurricanes, and fires, and earthquakes, and it is usually community that make it fun (I remember vividly a huge block party in South Carolina during a hurricane) she is so alone and never staying somewhere long enough to get that community fun which is stressful. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks it is so hard to know! When I went through my first earthquake (moved from the place in this book to southern California) I literally stood up from my computer and started running through the things I had been taught - get in a door, no they say not to do that anymore because it will split you in two! Bathtub? No that is for tornadoes? By the time I settled on lying by the couch it was over and time to start cleaning up. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures Not sure if anyone else in #CampLitsy lives here, but in this area we are raised with the earthquake warning “The Big One“, it is sort of like our volcanos. The idea is so fantastical it is hard to imagine. Like that instructor said, it could happen tomorrow or 100 yrs from now. I am much more concerned with our wildfires, and have a go bag, and get prepped every May for those. The big concern is you are cut off from the other side of town 1/2 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures Portland is completely cut in half by a river (a river that is honestly disgusting, my ex who works environmental restoration warned me enough times to never get in it that I would never touch it) we all know our infrastructure is trashed. Everyone who lives here is fully aware that if it hits and you are on the wrong side you are screwed, so I am curious to see what she does. I really hope she doesn't touch the water... lol 4mo

Jas16 As someone who lives in San Francisco I probably should be more prepared than I am. 4mo

GatheringBooks I was born in a tropical country (Philippines) where monsoon typhoons are common, not to mention flooding - when we moved to Singapore, there were hardly any natural disasters to speak of - same here in the Emirates, although the threat of impending war looms in this region, and we were advised to have a to-go bag just in case things get awry, especially with recent events, which reminds me that i have not prepared any of that yet. Sigh. 4mo

Deblovestoread I live in Oregon and it adds to the story that I know the places she writes about. Fear of the big one has been ingrained in me and my biggest fear was going over the bridges on my commute. (I‘m about an hour south of Portland) I do not want to end up in the river in my car. I use to think we lived in a fairly benign area for natural disasters but now wildfires are very real threat. 4mo

BarbaraBB @mcctrish I‘d have bought that crib much earlier too. You can‘t really prepare for a quake but for an birth you can. 36 weeks 😱 4mo

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures It is very interesting you are able to follow where she walks and if or makes sense. @Deblovestoread @Hooked_on_books same goes for you probably. It‘ll add to the reading experience I think but it might also be a bit scary to read about that Big One. 4mo

BarbaraBB @vonnie862 we don‘t have many natural disasters where I live but with current world politics I have been thinking of that meeting an discussed it with my man and kids. Now I always make sure my car has a full tank too 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4mo

Butterfinger Ugh. It will be a year September 30th/October 1st when Helene came through our community. I knew how she felt when she was thirsty and seeing the destruction. Not knowing how the rest of your area fared. The roads had been blocked by fallen trees, at least 30 had to be chopped and moved before we could leave. I just sat in my car and cried when I was able to get a local radio station. CA fires and TX flood. It hits differently now. 4mo

BarbaraBB @Zuhkeeyah Well put. Do you think she‘s right to keep on moving instead of going home? 4mo

BarbaraBB @Butterfinger That must have been so stressful. This must be a hard read and you probably can relate to Annie 🤍 4mo

Butterfinger The rumors that fly around, not being able to discern fact from fiction. Is the National Guard really shooting people who are trying to swim? People helping each other. She knows now not to put off the necessary chores like planning and listening to the earthquake expert her husband was trying to emulate. 4mo

TEArificbooks I grew up in tornado alley. We were prepared. Our tornado shelter was fully stocked with radios food water meds pillows first aid kit batteries flashlights candles etc. Now I live elsewhere and have go bags and water and survival kits kept in the car. I can grab it and walk out if need be. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Butterfinger I am glad you were safe even if it was scary. I think it is hard for people to plan for possibilities of disasters. Have you done any prep since Helene that you think will help if it happens again? I am with @Deblovestoread I am much more worried about wildfires and have prep for that, but I lived in Southern California and learned how there now I teach others because it is a new threat here 4mo

Butterfinger @ChaoticMissAdventures very minimal prep. I have water that can be stored for 10 years. I know exactly what to do with my pets. Western NC was not prepared. We had a week of downpours before Helene landed in the FL Panhandle The mudslides, the floods. It's considered a geological event. Rivers actually changed course. 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB this book has been Very Portland coded. I have wondered how people are reacting to the her writing. It cannot make a lot of sense when she talks about going to Big Pink (a large building downtown covered in pink glass) or when she mentions names of streets without saying they are streets. 4mo

Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures I was on the subway during the big blackouts on the east coast in 2003 bringing my little sister home from summer camp. We were on the platform not the train when the lights went out, thankfully 😅 What I remember most is the community! We were without power for days cooking on the bbq and eating by candlelight, all the stores gave away free ice-cream! We had to walk really far to get home but it was kind of fun except that. 4mo

Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures so I agree. Minus people getting hurt and the destruction, there is good moments and bonding to be had in things like this. The book is devastating though, I can‘t imagine seeing all that, traumatic to say the least. (I‘m almost finished so I‘m trying not to give spoilers, but wow). (edited) 4mo

Meshell1313 @ChaoticMissAdventures oh that makes sense then! The author clearly did her research in choosing that route! 4mo

Lesliereadsalot @BarbaraBB So right! Who doesn‘t have a crib, assembled, waiting for a baby? 4mo

Hooked_on_books I don‘t think this book shaped my perspective because the event it depicts, Cascadia, is one I‘ve been well aware of since I first moved to the Oregon coast in 2013. When it happens, in the spot I‘m in, the first tsunami wave will hit in 30 minutes. So I‘ve thought about where I would go if I were in various spots and it hit. And, like in the book, it would likely be on foot. 4mo

Hooked_on_books I think what many of us don‘t think about is the long aftermath. The go bag and some water are great ideas for the short term, but there are circumstances after disaster in which you can be cut off or dealing with issues for a long time. What then? We had a bad storm when I was in Hawaii and I had no power or water for 5 days. That‘s not long term, but it kinda sucked! I figured it out and have an interesting outdoor bathing story now. 4mo

CBee @Megabooks same 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ 4mo

CBee I think Annie put off buying a crib for a myriad of reasons - money being a huge factor, but also her ambivalence about being a mother, the loss of her own mother, etc. I have often put off important things like that as well. As far as how I‘d react in a disaster like this, I have no idea. The worst thing that happens here is a tornado, and none have come close enough to us to cause any damage. I‘ve never even felt a tremor. 4mo

BarbaraBB @CBee That‘s quite plausible, that she‘s putting off buying a crib on purpose. Thanks for bringing that up. @Lesliereadsalot @mcctrish 4mo

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books You‘ve really dealt with such a situation, 5 days without power or water. I guess you‘re better prepared now than most of us 4mo

CBee @BarbaraBB of course! I could relate to Annie in many ways and I understand being almost frozen and stuck when it comes to getting important things done. It can be hard. Plus, there is the fact that so many newborns don‘t sleep in a crib right away. 4mo

willaful @CBee It demonstrates how alone she is that she doesn't know things like that, and that she doesn't have a friend or family member to give her hand me downs. All she has is this Instragram version of consumption motherhood to try to aspire to, when its exactly what she doesn't need. 4mo

squirrelbrain I do just the same! @DGRachel 4mo

Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB Not sure if I‘m better prepared, but I‘m definitely more aware of what could happen then those who haven‘t thought about or been through something like that. You just make it work! 4mo

squirrelbrain That sounds really tough @butterfinger 4mo

DGRachel @Hooked_on_books That‘s so true. Even with the minimal “preparedness” I have, I would be fine short term. I‘ve lived through 1-2 weeks in Central Florida without power after a hurricane. It was unpleasant, but I could do it again here in Charlotte, NC. Long term, though, especially with all of the federal aid agencies being gutted, I don‘t think I can even fathom what survival looks like. 4mo

CBee @willaful agree 💯 4mo

Hooked_on_books @DGRachel I‘m not sure anyone can fathom the longer term, other than those who‘ve been through it. I think of people in Asheville whose power was out for months and none of us who have had power all our lives is ready for that. (edited) 4mo

Suet624 Golly, I love these comments. I am completely unprepared for a disaster and I hope I never encounter one. :) 4mo

Suet624 Did you all see that the NYT Times Wirecutter section just published articles on emergency preparedness? I can't seem to figure out how to attach a gift article unfortunately. 4mo

Maggie4483 There‘s such a big difference in predictability between weather events and geological ones. I‘ve lived in tornado alley my entire life, and meteorologists have gotten so much better at knowing when we need to be weather aware, sometimes days in advance. When I was 12, I rode out one of the worst hailstorms in history (https://youtu.be/daKilcH-lgI) in the front seat of a Kia, my dad, stepmom, and I all huddled under a denim jacket (continued) 4mo

Maggie4483 …We were stuck in bottleneck traffic as thousands of people tried to leave the park to get away from a storm that surprised us all. Today, the technology is so advanced, they would likely have known the potential damage, and canceled all outdoor events. Of course it‘s not perfect, as we saw with the terrible Texas floods last month, but I‘ve seen the improvement in my lifetime. That said, I don‘t know how prepared I‘d be. (Continued again) 4mo

Leniverse I think it's impossible to say how I would react without it having been put to the test. But I would hope that, pregnant or not, I wouldn't have been running all around town. Going to the café made sense. After that I would head home, assuming that my husband would be doing the same. The odds of missing each other in the chaos is just too great, even with only one working bridge. 4mo

Maggie4483 …I was one of the lucky minority during the Texas Icepocalypse in 2021 that never lost power (I‘m on the same grid as a fire station). Even so, by the end of it, all I had to eat was plain rice and pasta because I didn‘t go to the store. I can‘t imagine what I would have done if I hadn‘t had a way to prepare food like so many others. And again, that was a storm we knew was coming. You can‘t forecast volcanos or earthquakes the same way (one more) 4mo

Maggie4483 I think that‘s what makes earthquakes so scary. That, and the fact that the damage is so widespread. With thunderstorms, you can have flash flooding and damaging winds in one part of town, and not a drop of rain just a few miles away. (Sorry for so many posts - I‘m kind of a weather nerd ⛈️ 🌪️ 🌩️) 4mo

Christine I‘m with you, @Suet624 - other than we do always have plenty of stored food and water because I always have too much of that (low-income childhood scarcity mindset)! And now I better go find that Wirecutter article. 😆 4mo

BarbaraBB @Maggie4483 Thank you for sharing your experience. Very much appreciated and I personally learned a lot! 4mo

ImperfectCJ I totally missed the discussion this weekend, so I'm playing catch-up. I've been in several earthquakes, two pretty strong when I was a kid, the others just strong enough to put us on edge wondering if it was going to build to something bigger. Two things struck me about the quake in the novel. First, how difficult it would be to put any of the earthquake drill stuff into practice since it would be very hard to walk with that level of shaking. 4mo

ImperfectCJ Second, it reminded me how terrifying it is to think about going inside. It's opposite to how I've felt in other situations (ice storms, hurricanes, blizzards, tornado near-misses, wildfire watches), where huddling inside is the safest option (until it's not). We have some prep for earthquakes/wildfires, but not what's recommended, which is kind of a matter of privilege to be able to assemble (enough money to buy extra, space to store it, etc). 4mo

ImperfectCJ My biggest fear is being separated from my family (spouse and kids) in a disaster, and no amount of stockpiled water will help alleviate that fear. 4mo

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mcctrish

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

I cannot wait to talk about this tomorrow! Holy Hannah does the tension build - I think if I read this on my own I would have to read it in one sitting. I‘d get lulled by the flashbacks and then panic speed reading during the ‘now‘ sections. I just kept thinking “OMG, I could nevah “ #camplitsy

BarbaraBB See you tomorrow 😀 4mo

squirrelbrain Such a stressful read! 4mo

BarbaraJean I read this last month (because library holds don't wait!). I wanted to at least read it over two days, to help my memory as to what happens in each half. But I couldn't. I read it all in one day and I'm not mad about it. 4mo

mcctrish @BarbaraJean I read the first part Sunday or monday - I was excited to get ready for today and then thought I hadn‘t read for today so read the second part yesterday🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ becasue it felt like I‘d read the first part a week ago 4mo

Suet624 @mcctrish That's hysterical. 4mo

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Chelsea.Poole

Tilt | Emma Pattee

Heading back from a trip deep in the forest (disconnected!) and trying to stop halfway for the #camplitsy25 pick but I want to keep reading!!
It was a great trip and made better with few distractions with plenty of reading time.

wildwoodreads I need that kind of trip soon 4mo

Bookwormjillk I force myself to wait until the last minute to read so I don't read ahead and mess up the discussion! 4mo

squirrelbrain Sounds like a fab trip! 4mo

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AmyG Sounds wonderful. 4mo

Singout Same! I was quoting to my fellow campers one of the bits from “Saving Time” about how being disconnected from the Internet is a way of freeing ourselves from a type of oppression that‘s based on being demanded to constantly check in to too many things. 4mo

BarbaraBB It‘s hard to stop halfway such a short and intense novel 4mo

AnnCrystal 🤩💝. 4mo

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vonnie862

Tilt | Emma Pattee

pick

I was not sure what to expect, so I was splendidly surprised how hooked I was. Annie was 37 weeks pregnant and, unfortunately, goes through a natural disaster. As she described her journey in trying to get to her husband, I kept wondering what I would do if I were in the same situation. I really should have an emergency plan, just in case.

#camplitsy25 #bookspinbingo

AmyG I flew through this one! 4mo

vonnie862 @AmyG same! I started and finished this on the airplane on my way back from vacation. 4mo

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Tilt | Emma Pattee

"Even the Naked Bike Ride gets too crowded, and we stopped going the year we had to walk our bikes the whole way because the street is jam packed with glitter covered limbs."

Ahahah this book is so aggressively Portland!! Last weekend was Naked Bike Ride.I had forgotten about it &was waiting outside w/ a friend for a brunch table as they started riding by. A yearly ride that is just starting up again after covid so isn't as crowded, but Yes Naked

ItsAnotherJen This seems like it'd be...uncomfortable 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @ItsAnotherJen I have never done it, but I agree! I grabbed this photo from Google but they start in the AM. I just think about afternoon July heat on top of the... pinching? 🤣 4mo

BarbaraBB Very uncomfortable and I wonder… WHY?!? 4mo

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ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB my understanding from the people I know who do it is that they participate for a sense of community, to promote biking, and for body positivity. It is often pretty political, the last 2 years they gave been lots of body messages about Gaza and abortion rights. 4mo

BarbaraBB That‘s good, even if you have to cycle naked for it! We had one in Amsterdam too but I think it was only once… just before Covid. 4mo

marleed On my list of things I wouldn‘t want to do naked at night, bike riding is among top of list I‘m sure - those seats! Even for a non political statement I think I would paint words on my body as hey look here and not there attempt🤣 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @marleed They do it during the day too! People pop in and out all day and evening. 4mo

marleed @ChaoticMissAdventures 😱 the idea of me bike riding naked in daylight - this is how nightmares happen in broad daylight 🤣 4mo

32 likes8 comments