Welcome to Litsy!

Dark and comedic, and at times disturbing. I loved how Welsh has managed to develop such complex characters and humanise them, whilst also embedding political and societal issues in this tapestry of vignettes. The code-switching and use of Scots added another layer of richness as well. Might not be for everyone but it‘s a brilliant novel. 8/10

Since I‘ve already read the Trevor Noah memoir, I used this #AuldLangSpine recommendation from @MallenNC to fit the “Born a Crime” prompt for #Nonfiction2024. It‘s the story of an upper middle-class soccer mom who steals and commits identity theft to support her drug addiction, which lands her in jail. Hardin is brutally honest about her crimes and her struggles, and how she found redemption and forgiveness —and a career as a ghostwriter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This memoir is well worth the read. She talks about her time in prison without being salacious (that tends to happen in other prison memoirs I‘ve read). She also doesn‘t shy away from her own culpability, and describes the injustices convicts face without victimizing herself. Excellent to listen on audio - she reads it herself. I highly recommend!!

I do not have any memory of how this book came to my attention, nor why/when I put a library hold on the ebook. But it came and I opened it. Baffled! Asking myself, “Who is this person? Why did I put this on hold?!” And the other equally strange bafflement of how she slipped under my radar. I didn‘t know of her book with Anthony Ray Hinton and yet!! I had read Just Mercy by the attorney that advocated for Hinton, Bryan Stevenson. How did I miss 👇

After just shy of 30 years in Corrections, I wish this quote didn‘t resonate so deeply. 😞

#IdiomInsight Jerry Stahl was writing at an incredible pace , magazine articles, screenplays, television episodes. He was also doing drugs at an amazing pace. This memoir really stuck with me though I read it years ago .Stahl was definitely #InTheFastLane

Love the rawness & the honesty. However, maybe in updates he could footnote the parts that are casually racist & actively misogynistic to show areas for growth. We 💯 knew swastikas sucked back then. They still suck. Fuck nazis wherever they exist, and fuck their propaganda. Glad he has his shit together.

This was fun!! Want to play again?! #BookNotes

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Rehab https://g.co/kgs/ChLpWX

Play 📀 tag friends 🎼 tag me 📚

Lara Love Hardin's story is a rollercoaster of emotions and she shares it with raw open honesty. This book is a LOUD reminder that no matter how difficult our past may be, it's NEVER too late to find hope and rebuild our lives.

#BookBinge Day 9: I didn‘t realize Melvin Burgess shares my initials - and he is so prolific too with such edgy themes. Got these books from a librarian friend who was downsizing her collection when she left Singapore. More of my haul from her beloved collection here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-eIv