Florence isn‘t like the other mothers at her son‘s prep school in London. She‘s a washed up girl band member and American to boot. Flo‘s world is shaken when a boy from her son‘s class goes missing. She‘d do anything to protect her son from suspicion, since he‘s the last to see the missing boy. I was intrigued from the get go but did feel a bit disappointed with the who and why. Entertaining with some substance especially the motherhood angle.

Pretty fitting that I listened to this on the 4th of July, as we went through the motions of celebrating America. In a short 4 hrs on audio, Kreizman presents essays on many of the issues plaguing our country today, starting off with drug prices, specifically the scandalous price gouging for insulin. (Shes diabetic.) There‘s also chapters about her older twin brothers whom she idolizes but they have drifted far apart politically. Relatable, short.

Finished this “comic novel” on our way home from a Red‘s baseball game. It was fantastic! Hilarious! I mistakenly assumed this was a memoir/nonfiction. After figuring out its auto-fiction, I was able to just take in the hilarity of the goat sanctuary, middle-aged throuple, vegan podcasters, co-op, a MAGA sister, and so much more. Liberals will recognize themselves in these pages, I sure did. I‘d watch this tv show.
📸my monarch caterpillar babies

Hi, humanity 👋: don‘t ignore robots! I sure did in this book—one part is all about Zelu, a Nigerian-American woman, who becomes an author. Her book blows up, and we get a chance to read it…interspersed in this novel. So, it‘s a book within a book. I found myself more invested in Zelu‘s sections. Shouldn‘t have been! There‘s some great stuff happening with those robots, especially at the end! To be human is to tell stories…#camplitsy25

Afternoon work break with a graphic novel.

Very excited for the remainder of #camplitsy25

Late afternoon front porch reading with a new book and an iced latte.

Marty Goddard wouldn‘t take no for an answer. She developed the rape kit but she didn‘t have an easy go of getting this established in hospitals and with investigations. She persisted! The author also goes into other devices created more recently to help those without access—at-home kits which may have issues with credibility, etc. But this was a fascinating read.

Bonus points for the audio because it‘s narrated by Claire Danes.

Ok, so this isn‘t actually about butterflies (which I erroneously believed when I placed a hold on this book on Libby ?), but I‘m going to use it as an opportunity to show off my butterfly friends. So this is actually about climate change and scientific progress that led to being able to predict the climate‘s effect on weather. Shukla was a part of a team which helped us understand events like El Niño. Also a memoir of his personal life.

This was not it for my anxious mind. I think this would be better for someone in their early twenties or even teenagers who struggle with negative self image. I did like the takeaway the idea of: when your creative brain takes you on the familiar negative thoughts, start thinking of the good and create a neuro pathway that can be worn well to eventually overtake the negative thoughts. Practice makes perfect in our minds too.

One I should have skipped. Romolini claims to be a workaholic in this, which may be true, but it didn‘t seem that way to me, as the reader. She discusses issues at work and how she doesn‘t get along with certain coworkers in the fashion/trend-making publication she works for. Then goes on to discuss starting a family. I can‘t recommend, but it wasn‘t horrible. Just didn‘t add much to the genre which has plenty of these types, often done better.

This had a good start but I got bogged down and lost interest. AI questions, something that‘s emerging more and more in fiction. This is fine, but it seems like it could have used more plot. It‘s not often I find myself wishing for something to happen in books, but this gave me that feeling. I can‘t exactly recommend this, though there are some great comments here about the female experience/image/beauty.

The title covers issues experienced during “middle childhood” the age of my boys. This is a great time to prepare them for the teenage years and issues that come up during that time. Screen time, body awareness, puberty, sex talk, peers, academics, sports and more are covered by the author, a child psychologist. Lots of good info and something I‘d like to refer back to over the next several years.

So much of this book made a ton of sense. We should be able to access affordable clean energy, there should be enough housing, we should have access to healthcare—why is it so difficult for one of the wealthiest nations (the US) to manage these things? Abundance argues that our government places regulations that are too strict on many industries/organizations that limit progress and ultimately disadvantage citizens.

This memoir slipped through the cracks over the years, finally getting around to it. It is just as heartbreaking, maddening, and unsettling as all the reviews promised. The author grew up in the LeBaron faction of the fundamentalist LDS community in Mexico, as the 39th child of her father‘s 42 children. Her mother was quickly remarried after the murder (!) of her father which put Ruth and siblings in another horrible situation. Abuse and neglect.

Gilbert dissects the biggest of events/content of pop culture, as it pertains to women, during my coming of age. The treatment of Britney Spears, the raunchy films, the sleazy magazine articles and paparazzi all sent us a message that girls and women were subjects to judge and criticize. Purity rings and porn are covered. The creepy way the 2000s made mean girls to pit against each other was all for the benefit of men. Great audio!

Judging by the state of dating apps and misery in the dating world, which my sister in law partakes in (unfortunately), an actual blob might be more palatable than some of the available men. Su takes this ideas and runs with it. Lonely, single, and miserable our MC finds a blob and takes it home. She literally shapes it into a man. The set up is great but I feel like way more hilarity could ensue. Almost a wasted opportunity to get banana pants.

A fun thriller that‘s written with humor even though it covers some dark themes. You‘ve read similar stories before: young woman (in this case, Lucy) returns home where something terrible has happened in the past. Much of the internet blames Lucy for the crime. Enter a podcaster, her family, and many others from her past. Will Lucy‘s memory of that fateful night return? So full of tropes but actually enjoyable.

The story of Max (trans woman) who engages in a relationship with Vincent. I was all in for them but past issues come up and health issues complicate things. A great read with vivid characters full of vulnerability, anxiety, and lots of heart.
Trigger warning: medical

I have enjoyed The Soulmate by Hepworth and so I chose another for our thriller book club at the library. This was decent and it kept my interest but I don‘t think I‘ll remember much of it. It‘s about 3 women who grew up in foster care and are pulled back into the drama and trauma of their upbringing. Australia setting, past vs present, results of childhood traumas.

A fellow Appalachian, Jonathan Corcoran, grew up in West Virginia, not far from where I was born and raised in southern Ohio. A memoir of pain caused by the fact that his mother (a product of her environment) is unable to accept the fact that her son is gay. She comes in and out of his life over the years and he always lets her back in, until he‘s had enough. It‘s sad and it didn‘t have to be that way.
Pictured with my two sons 🥰

A motherless daughter recalls her upbringing after her mother left their family in British Columbia to return to her homeland in Brunei. Now that Liew is a mother herself, she‘s unable to stop thinking about her own who she last saw when she was 11 years old. This is a memoir of searching for answers: how could her mother abandon their family? Where is she? Is she still alive? What is the meaning of “home”?

Yes, yes it does. And I love this book. A favorite read this year, and of all time. Mental illness and potentially triggering but my oh my did I love these words. So many passages to highlight throughout.

Nature is healing. 🤍
Highly recommended.

This landed on my radar thanks to @Singout ‘s #AuldLangSpine list and how thankful I am! I normally avoid short stories (because “give me more!” or “what was that?”). BUT! These stories are fully realized and effective in storytelling. Haunting and often full of magical realism heightening everyday emotions: sibling jealousy, a teen being bullied, neglected stepdaughter (Cinderella!), divorce. Centers women & lgbtq+ experiences. Excellent!

A doodle because I forgot the order of events 🏕️
#CampLitsy25

This is a charmer! Loved the audio version read by the author, but definitely benefited from a hardcopy for lists of laundry supplies and stain removing tips. This little book has much to love: heartfelt notes about the author‘s southern upbringing and subsequent love of vintage/quality clothing and how to take care of these garments, as well as practical tips for making laundry an enjoyable task while eliminating chemicals from the process.

#EuropaEditions are usually hits for me but this one fell short. I also had such high hopes after loving The Postcard by the same author (one of the two). I just couldn‘t get over how selfish the titular character was presented…by her great grandchildren no less! Obsessed with her husband and they‘re both into the art scene around the turn of the century but totally uninterested in their offspring. Lots of name dropping and little parenting.

I‘m so behind on reviews and my reading life has been slower than usual (hi, anxiety! 👋) but I did manage to get this #CampLitsy25 read in before this weekend. While I did love most of it, one central theme throughout had me spiraling. I‘m looking forward to discussing tomorrow with fellow campers! McConaghy is one of my favorite authors ever (big fan of the way she weaves nature in her stories) but I must say this is my least favorite of hers.

I loved this. It took me many years to recognize that I was in an abusive relationship—my first. Reading this took me back. I questioned myself: my entire view of things was off kilter due to shame, guilt, brainwashing…just like the woman in this book. The repetition of the relationship here was so real: leave, is it my fault?, come back. I was concerned for the children in this book caught in the middle. I loved the Irish setting. All the stars.

I‘m in a Literary Club that has been meeting since 1894 (!) where one of the members presented a book about Marguerite de La Rocque, a story of a noblewoman trapped on an island in the winter with her maid and lover. Imagine my surprise when reading this book, of the very same story. I enjoyed Isola but it is basically the exact tale from the written by Elizabeth Boyer in 1975. I liked this but are they too similar to be considered an issue??

Spent the whole weekend on the sidelines:
⚽️ a soccer tournament for my oldest
⚾️ baseball practice and a game for my youngest

I was accompanied by Gabriele for #EuropaEditions. Though I didn‘t get much read, I think I‘m going to like it!

Loved it!! What an icky read (vomit, uncomfortable and awkward feelings) but I found it absolutely readable—how does Moshfegh do it?! She creates fascinating characters who are flawed (aren‘t we all!?) and so real. I found myself feeling gross about my own thoughts after seeing Eileen‘s base instincts on the page. There‘s more going on beneath the surface for Eileen, at least that‘s what I took away from this master class in character development.

I love it when someone can admit when they‘re wrong, especially a man 😂 This guy wrote an actual book about his mistaken belief he could get up one day and hike the Grand Canyon with little experience or knowledge. That‘s the first part of the book but Fedarko realizes the error of his ways, figures out how to succeed and educates readers along the way of the canyon and the Indigenous peoples who inhabit(ed) it. ⬇️

Once again, the old me wouldn‘t recognize the me posting about how much I enjoyed this book about elite athletes and how genes play a huge part in success in sports. It is truly my kids who have opened up this world to me—I used to hate sports. My sporty boys have ignited an interest in me and there‘s some fascinating stories in the sports world. This book covers various sports and the body types best suited for that particular activity. ⬇️

#bookspinbingo May was all about baseball but I did manage to read a bunch! Came close to clearing the board save for 2 and I‘m currently reading Chrysalis. Knocked a another off the #auldlangspine list:
All that‘s left unsaid, Chrysalis nearly
listened to several that have been lingering on my tbr for years:
Eileen, We Are Called to Rise, The Hidden Life of Trees.
A great reading month! 2 duds: the Megan Miranda and the William Kent Krueger

I‘m wondering if Jennifer Hillier can write a bad book. At first, I was thinking this one may be a miss for me, as I‘ve loved several of her others. But by the end, I was all in—waiting to see how everything in this book would shake out. But I wasn‘t waiting to find out who The Butcher is—readers learn that right off the bat. Hillier is my favorite thriller writer, and I‘m going to finish her backlist.

More of the same from “Come as You Are” author Emily Nagoski, but this book focuses on long term relationships and the sexual connections between partners. Reinforces the difference of spontaneous desire vs responsive desire and that people should center pleasure above desire. Helps the reader to realize what they need and how to find support from their partner. This is presented in a straightforward manner and makes perfect sense.

I started reading this when the daffodils were out then misplaced the book! I ended up listening to the rest on audio before finally finding it again this week. An #auldlangspine pick from @Singout about a Vietnamese family in Australian whose perfect son (high school age) is murdered. Their grown daughter, Ky, returns home to investigate. Though this is a propulsive plot point, the author is more concerned with showing the immigrant experience.

Ready for June! #europaeditions #europacollective

I loved this! Even though so much of this is covered in other books —trees are big!— the way the ideas are presented are delightful. Wohlleben gives the trees human characteristics— screaming, communicating, friendships— which are all exactly what the trees have going on, but it‘s always intriguing to me to think of these traits in human terms.

This was no good. A silly, boring mystery that we read for our thriller book club. It‘s about a neighborhood of bickering busybodies —two of which end up dead. Ruby Fletcher did time, but now she‘s back! It was a good set up but I just found the whole thing totally boring and the big reveal made no sense. I don‘t think we will read this author again for the club.

I really appreciated this memoir of a mother‘s experiences parenting her son and how it‘s quite different than raising her daughter. Julavits‘ son is around 5-12 in this memoir, and my boys fit into this age group so I could relate to much of her worries and also her appreciation of parenting a son. I do worry her daughter will wonder why her mother only wrote about her sibling and not her. And there‘s some handwringing that gets to be a bit much.

#WomensPrizeNF It‘s obvious Summerscale has done the research and thoroughly explored all aspects of the case, including the time period. Apparently a notorious case in England, these murders of women in the 1950s illuminate the hardships for women and the misogyny that permeated society. The trial and aftermath of the case are explored, and I kept feeling like this took place way longer ago than just the 50s because things have changed so much.

I found the cover art and subtitle misleading. This is a memoir of some of those things: reporting on sex work is covered, but as is the author‘s personal life including her mother‘s illness and death (TW), marriage and starting a family. While she does dive into the male gaze, starting in childhood with her father‘s porn — she becomes intrigued by sex and desire, discovering that she views sex through the male gaze herself. Good at times.

Shortlisted for the #WomensPrize but unfortunately I didn‘t fully connect with this one. De-radicilazation, but make it rom-com? Our MC is smart and punchy, making friends at the UN rehab program for ISIS brides. And she takes this job to distract from heartbreak. I know the author has experience with this work so it reads true but I didn‘t love the office politics vibes. Did appreciate the “I‘m coming to save you, oh wait you don‘t want saved?!”

A great read about the impact of war, generational trauma, and the importance of human connection. Alternating perspectives of individuals in Las Vegas, centering the war in Iraq and the aftermath on soldiers and their families, as well as an immigrant family. In-depth inner dialogue and emotional lives of the featured characters who all struggle, but do their best. A great audio as well!

An Irish family relocates to London during in the 90s. The book begins with the tragic death of a child, who happened to be playing with Lucy, the youngest member of the family. While of course this is horrific, it was written in a way that wasn‘t too much for me. The real story here is the uncovered secrets and backstory of the family. And the journalist investigating. Generational trauma and dealing with the hand one‘s dealt.

This is a historian‘s perspective of our current place in human history: how will AI change our lives? Harari attempts to answer this question by looking to the past to consider the future of the technology age. I loved this, though it is a long and information-heavy journey through time. Everyone should listen to this to understand our time and place in history, where we came from, and the warnings of where we could be headed.

I went into this knowing nothing..just that it‘s a memoir and Oprah liked it. I think that‘s partially why I was so taken with this: it was a total shock to me as I was experiencing everything right alongside the author. Told in two parts: one was interesting but pretty typical of a standard memoir. By part two I could not stop reading until the book ended. A truly standout memoir, in my estimation. Check TW! And nicely done audio by the author.

John Green is a national treasure. His take on how tuberculosis has affected our world and tells about a young individual who is suffering from this disease CURRENTLY to illustrate societal and global health issues, greed, modern medicine, history —and romanization— of the disease (consumption), medical and pharmaceutical industry (corruption), personal stories and so much more (TB gave us Adirondack chairs!). I absolutely loved this!