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Ilana

IlanaVerified

Joined October 2016

Fiction writer, book critic, book lover. Founder/host TheOtherStories.org
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City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg
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Ilana
What We Lose | Zinzi Clemmons
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Gorgeous, reading now.

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Ilana
Radiate | C. A. Higgins

Fucking A, Higgins does it again. Excellent book with incredible structure.

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Ilana
Mad | Chloe Esposito
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#reading #walking

Reading this for an article I'm writing about be#beachreads. Anyone have any thoughts on where the beach read came from?

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Ilana
Larose | Louise Erdrich
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Bought these two beauties recently.

Nebklvr Have looked at Edinburgh several times 7y
26 likes1 comment
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Ilana
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The thing that most dates this book is Snyder repeatedly mentioning the price of going to see a movie as $10.

...

...

...*sob*

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Ilana
Oola | Brittany Newell
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Reviewed this for Electric Literature - it's AMAZING:

https://electricliterature.com/amp/p/153076b3b88e

23 likes1 stack add
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Ilana

Reading this now and having many feelings. Also have been neglecting this place so I'm updating all the books I've recently read!!!

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Ilana
Florence in Ecstasy | Jessie Chaffee
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An amazing exploration of eating disorders and beauty.

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Ilana
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This is one of the most astonishing books I've read, just craft wise.

24 likes1 stack add
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Ilana
My Cat Yugoslavia: A Novel | Pajtim Statovci
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Amazing, odd, funny, touching, intersectional, fascinating.

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Ilana
The Book of Joan: A Novel | Lidia Yuknavitch
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The Book of Joan is perfect for when the world is falling apart.

#booksandbrew #amreading

33 likes2 stack adds
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Ilana
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I want so many of these books at it's three for price of two but alas. Airport. Travel. Can't/shouldn't carry more :(.

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Ilana
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Guys. I want to write about this book so badly. I'm going to try to cover it for big pubs but if you have any suggestions or want to solicit a review let me know!

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Ilana
Sorry to Disrupt the Peace | Patty Yumi Cottrell
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Reading this now and loving it - it's so different than what I expected, so incredibly odd and wonderful and discomforting.

ApoptyGina69 I just ordered this. I think it will be here today. Twins! 7y
27 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Ilana
Grace | Natashia Deon
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This book really does match all the blurbs on the back saying it's a classic. It's gorgeous, deep, empathic, and indeed full of grace. There is a beauty here that feels like wisdom.

27 likes2 stack adds
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Ilana
Temporary People | Deepak Unnikrishnan
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Finally starting Temporary People and it's mind blowing so far. #reviewbooks #SubwayReads

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Ilana
Grace | Natashia Deon
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"Being a woman means always having to bend at the knees even for the simplest relief."

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Ilana
Abandon Me | Melissa Febos
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Left to right: have read, am reading, am reading.

shutupsmalls Let me know what you think of Abandon Me! It's on my list 7y
Ilana @Smalley I'm in love with it and it's ripping my guts out, so pretty much part for the course for Febos - in other words, I highly recommend! 7y
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Ilana
Difficult Women | Roxane Gay
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Incredible so far. My goodness.

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Ilana
Sonora | Hannah Lillith Assadi
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I've been itching to finally read and review this book for ages and now I finally can. #JanuaryRead #SubwayReads #amreading

28 likes1 stack add
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Ilana
Universal Harvester | John Darnielle
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Currently reading. Ahead of schedule on books for the first time in years! #SubwayReads #amreading

35 likes1 stack add
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Ilana
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This book is readable, life affirming, fascinating, and fantastic. For people who aren't usually into memoirs, this is a good one that goes down easy and gives you some teary moments. #booksandbrew #readjanuary #memoir

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Ilana
White Teeth | Zadie Smith
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Someone reading White Teeth today feels relevant. #MillionWomenMarch #SubwayReads #januaryread

Laura317 Reading it myself. 7y
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Ilana
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This book is so well written and fascinating. #SubwayReads #JanuaryReads

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Ilana
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"My father lost me to the Beast at cards." - Angela Carter's blunt rendition of fairytales is chilling.

Weaponxgirl Love these stories! 7y
37 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Ilana
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Love seeing people reading on subway. #SubwayReads

Reviewsbylola I love creeping on people reading in public. I HAVE to know what it is they're reading! 7y
Ilana @Reviewsbylola I know, right? But I also try to respect privacy and never show faces or identifying features... 7y
Laura317 She has great taste in books!! 7y
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Ilana
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Currently reading this and it is fascinating. #booksandbrew

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Ilana
Homegoing: A novel | Yaa Gyasi
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Ilana
The Girls: A Novel | Emma Cline
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I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. The prose was tight and clean and the story was shiver inducing.

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Ilana
The Girls: A Novel | Emma Cline
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Reading this now. So different than what I expected. Thoroughly immersive so far.

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Ilana
Here Comes the Sun | Nicole Dennis-Benn
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This book kept surprising me with how intense it is. It's gorgeous and intensely painful and there are no rights or wrongs. The moral ambiguity of this book is part of what makes it so incredible, and so, so, deeply, terribly emotionally difficult. Which is what makes it a powerhouse, and what makes Nicole Dennis-Benn a writer to keep an eye on.

MicheleinPhilly My favorite book of 2016! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 7y
32 likes1 comment
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Ilana
Guards! Guards! | Terry Pratchett
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Got my partner to start reading Terry Pratchett with this Christmas gift. So far it is well-loved.

Moray_Reads I love the Watch. And the Witches... And Death... And the Wizards 7y
Ilana @Moray_Reads All the Pratchett basically. 7y
ultrabookgeek I love this book - it made me laugh at loud so much and think about libraries in a different way! 7y
Ilana @ultrabookgeek I know! The concept of L Space is my favorite thing ever basically. 7y
36 likes4 comments
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Ilana
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This is what I watch when my partner goes to bed. #guiltypleasures

ApoptyGina69 I watch all L & O incarnations while I clean my room, closet, get dressed, etc. seen 'em all at this point, but heartily LOVE them all, esp. Olivia. 7y
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Ilana
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Holiday #bookhaul: two small #moleskine notebooks, BOBCAT AND OTHER STORIES by Rebecca Lee; STORIES OF YOUR LIFE AND OTHERS by Ted Chiang; WELCOME TO NIGHTVALE by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor; and SEVENEVES by Neal Stephenson.
There was also a new coffeemaker, a book of crossword puzzles, a purple sweater, leather gloves, a B&N gift card, coffee, granola bar, a piece of chocolate, and a CAT CALENDAR.
I am very lucky and privileged. #xmasbooks

badnorthern Bobcat is one of my faves 7y
LeahBergen 😍😍 7y
47 likes2 comments
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Ilana
Here Comes the Sun | Nicole Dennis-Benn
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This book is tearing my apart so far. #booksandbrew

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Ilana
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"After the advent of laser surgery but before puberty, before self-consciousness, before secondary school, before money, time or gender got their teeth in. Before language was a trap, when it was a maze. Before Dad was a man in the last thirty years of his life. Really, on reflection, the best possible time to lose a mum."

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Ilana
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New read, same subway.

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Ilana
The Mothers: A Novel | Brit Bennett
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That immensely satisfying feeling of finishing a book... I'm there now. Need to sit with it for a bit.

One of my favorite things about this book is how much its characters are left to their own private lives. There's a lot we don't know, there's no real resolution or summary or neatly tied up bow, and that's exactly what I love. These characters go on from this book and keep living, real and fleshed out and beautiful.

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Ilana
The Mothers: A Novel | Brit Bennett
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Aluciddreamstate Loved this book 📚 7y
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Ilana
The Mothers: A Novel | Brit Bennett
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"Imagine, having the gall to choose when so many had that choice taken away from them. How dare she opt for a hard death when the rest of us were trying to manage the hard lives we'd been given?"

This is a fucking fascinating philosophical question about the nature of choice: not just the choice of life v. death, but the choice in all things.

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Ilana
The Mothers: A Novel | Brit Bennett
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#MondayReads

Am reading this for the National Book Critics Circle and loving so far.

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Ilana
Swing Time | Zadie Smith
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At WORD Brooklyn. Terrible photo but proof.

LeahBergen ❤️ 7y
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Ilana
Mr. Fox | Helen Oyeyemi
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Am having a hard time putting this book down. #wonderwomanwednesday #diversereads #recommendsday

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Ilana
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Am writing an author guide to Tamora Pierce and feeling all lovey and nostalgic for her books. Any fellow Pierce fans out there? #amwriting

RowanHisayo Dude I have signed copies in her purple ink of all the Alanna books. I named my hamster Alanna too! 7y
Ilana @RowanHisayo OMG WHAT WHAT WHAT SIGNED COPIES YOU MET HER I AM SO JEALOUS SHE IS AND WILL FOREVER BE ONE OF MY BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS 7y
RowanHisayo Never met her. But she used to sign them in the old 59th st Barnes and Noble and my mom would go buy them for me. I always loved her heroines, because they worked so hard rather than just being magically the best. 7y
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Ilana

I'm so confused about the different tags here on Litsy. There seem to be a ton of tags that people use that are common knowledge or project ones or photo a day ones.

Can anyone recommend good people to follow to keep up with the tags? Thank you!

jessberk13 @Ilana What are you looking for? #LitsyReadingChallenge is the tag for our bingo challenge for 2017 😊 7y
Ilana @jessica How does the bingo challenge work? I want to be part of the awesome community here, so thank you for helping me orient! @Simona Thank you so much! 7y
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jessberk13 @Ilana the link to the challenge is in my profile and I will be posting more about it as the month goes on! 7y
RealLifeReading If you're interested, I host a photo a day challenge. This month's tag is #seasonsreadings2016 7y
Ilana @RealLifeReading Yay thank you! So do I just check your profile for that once a day? And @jessica, thank you! 7y
Simona @Ilana You're welcome❣️Enjoy and have fun. 7y
LibrarianRyan #12daysofxmas photo is my December photo challenge (with prizes). 7y
LibrarianRyan Another good one is #litsyAtoZ which is a yearly challenge to read one book from every letter of the alphabet. It is being hosted by @BookishMarginalia 7y
BookishMarginalia Then we use some other ones like #CatsofLitsy, #DogsOfLitsy, #PetsofLitsy, #TeachersofLitsy #diversereads (for books showing diversity in all forms) #recommendsday (book recommendations posted on Wednesdays) #getindie (to support independent bookstores)... 7y
Magslhalliday There's also #wonderwomanwednesday which tags books by women, with posts on Wednesdays (I try to double up so it's both that and a #recommendsday post!) 7y
Marchpane Are you following @liberty? She posts a #funfridayphoto prompt every week and hosts giveaways eg #litsylovesleia 7y
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Ilana
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Dedication in an old used copy of a book at @strandbookstore .

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Ilana
We Were the Lucky Ones | Georgia Hunter
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Really looking forward to reading this.

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Ilana
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THERE WILL ALWAYS BE LAUGHTER IN SLAUGHTER.

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Ilana
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Loves this book, got teary eyed at the end, but I'm a bit tired of fat girls being villainous...

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Ilana
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"Her father had told her when she was very young that her birthday was the same day as the day her mother left the circuit of the living. But this was all before the girl had come to understand the relationship between time and story, that one shifts the other such that fact grows soft and breaks apart."

!!!!!
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