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RebL

RebL

Joined April 2016

LibraryThing member rebl

You may have clicked this by accident.
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RebL
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I‘m about to buy some comfy shoes, quit my job & go to work at the Met. Or at least visit a museum.

KathyWheeler When I was a kid and read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, I wanted to run away from home and live in the Met. 😄 4d
RebL @KathyWheeler Holy cow! That probably has a lot to do with my reaction 😆 4d
KathyWheeler @RebL Even the cover of this book reminded me of that one even though it‘s not the same. 😄 4d
18 likes1 stack add3 comments
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RebL
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I wasn‘t exactly avoiding this book; I just wasn‘t interested. A reader I respect loaned me her copy, so I felt obligated. I‘m glad I did. Delightful. Also, as a life-long domestic scientist, I‘ve done loads of experiments. They aren‘t fun & often fail, but I understand EZ‘s approach to life.

Tamra Glad you liked it! 4d
21 likes1 stack add1 comment
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RebL
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I‘m 💯going to say “police occupation” instead of “over-policing” from now on.

12 likes1 stack add
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This was a Litsy-Made-Me-Read-It. I feel like I should have been into it, but I listened to it on lunch breaks. Instead of it distracting me from work, work distracted me from this book. Also, I may have over-focused on female experience in male dominated workspaces & not enough on the relationships.

Tea_and_Starstuff The sexism was SO prevalent, all the way through. It really did complicate the relationships. I enjoyed the book overall but I really felt like that piece had so much frustration tied to it it really did overshadow other plot beats. 1w
RebL @Tea_and_Starstuff Thank you for that perspective. Definitely validates how I read the book. 1w
20 likes1 stack add2 comments
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RebL
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As much as I love watching Porter take down corrupt assh*les, I‘d be terrified to be schooled by her. 😆 I appreciate this memoir because she‘s candid about her feelings of inadequacy. OTOH, her drive is unforgiving.

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RebL
I'm Glad My Mom Died | Jennette McCurdy
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Reading this made me feel guilty for liking Sam so much. On the plus side, I read this with my own daughter.

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RebL
The Mayfair Bookshop | Eliza Knight
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I‘m not sure which Litten put this on my TBR, but thank you! Now I need a Mitford biography.

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Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond
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Read it. Read anything by Matt Desmond. Idk what we value in this country, but it‘s not humanity.
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Anyway, I love books so thoroughly that I read all the fine print. In this case that includes the information on the typeface, Dante, a “venerable” face.

21 likes2 stack adds
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You think you‘ve been poked in the heart but really you‘ve been impaled while maybe laughing sometimes. Also, strong “this or that” game.

17 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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Levine Querdido may just be my new favorite publisher. This is historical fantasy, a compelling genre. It uses inclusive (& correct) language. It‘s funny & sweet while tackling dark issues. Of course Lamb is a librarian; they are made of awesome. But also, LQ has really got me this season. 🙌🏼

15 likes1 stack add
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Although I score high on the Visual Thinking test, I don‘t see myself that way. That‘s about all that interested me in this book. Her adoration for Evil Musk & Edison 🤢. She knows squat-all about public education, cherry picking research. Contradicting herself at multiple points… I wanted to love this b/c a friend does, but I did not. I will say her drafting is gorgeous, & the animal welfare parts make for good reading.

16 likes1 stack add
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I‘m on the fringe of Davis‘s readership because I don‘t have the means to hire out help. I do have “chore trauma”. As a result, I only clean in an empty or sleeping house. I do it silently, & I don‘t ask for help. I don‘t have friends over b/c I can‘t meet my own standards. It is a relief to be told my trauma isn‘t my children‘s trauma. Coincidentally, I share some of her cleaning techniques. Also, I do follow Davis on the 🕰️ app.

Tamra I‘m stuck in the “you should do it yourself” mode of thinking, which means anymore it doesn‘t get done often or well enough. Before kids I was obsessive, but now I get bored with cleaning. 😜 2mo
RebL @Tamra Same! Seems like im in good company. 2mo
13 likes1 stack add2 comments
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I describe my years in food service as sex, sarcasm & stress. Plenty of alcohol & drugs too (I didn‘t partake). That is captured here. Although C-A acknowledges the sexual antics would constitute harassment today, he also says no one was bothered back then. I hated having to sidestep sticky fingers. I said nothing because I needed the job. Doesn‘t mean I wasn‘t bothered! Also, Woody Allen deserves a table nowhere.

Tamra Oh god yes - Woody Allen disgusts me. 2mo
RebL @Tamra No quarter for that guy. 2mo
12 likes1 stack add2 comments
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RebL
Ghost Music | An Yu
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I‘ve had enough of Bowen… and his mother… and his secret… and mushrooms. I‘m ready for something better for Song.

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RebL
The Book Tree | Paul Czajak
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“Nestled in the branches of a tree, Arlo opened his book & breathed in. Beginnings were always the best part. they smelled as if anything were possible.” Moral: Banning books doesn‘t suppress imagination. More books will come.

15 likes1 stack add
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RebL
Love, Pamela | Pamela Anderson
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I wanted a consent-driven, sex-positive feminist boss‘s take on all the ‘90s misogyny. Instead she tells readers a hundred times how smart she is (she read Hamlet like every other high schooler) & how easy success was for her. She also reinforces the perception around her terrible taste in men by gushing over Assange. I have empathy & want success/happiness for her, but I kinda wish I hadn‘t read this book.

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RebL
Spare | Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex
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The first half engrossed me. I was less interested in the second. Was it because we are already saturated in Meghan mania or because the writing lost some of the stronger themes in the first half? Idk. Unlike Harry, I think monarchy is total BS. I do not find value in noble classes. This is likely why I‘m curious about the mindset of someone so entrenched & benefitting from a happenstance of birth stretching understandings of humanity in this way.

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RebL
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I‘d have liked to have read this through the lens of a 12YO. Reading it as an adult left me a little frustrated with the adults in the book, even though they were ‘80s adults.

14 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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These companion books to Dr. Robbins‘ DEI seminars through Visceral Change include useful info with room for notes. Sherard is a former coworker, now friend.
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These aren‘t in the Litsy database, but the tagged book reminds me that I should read that so I can have the big idea and not the sprinkles of insight gathered over years of our Zoom mtgs, dinners out & the hilarious group chat I hope continues indefinitely.

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My Neighborhood | Mara Jos Ferrada
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My favorite #picturebooks integrate text & illustrations so well that the two are beyond complementary—they are greater than their sum. This is a book I‘d read on repeat with kids & enjoy every moment. Marta & her neighborhood are the coolest.

#GlibalLit

13 likes2 stack adds
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RebL
Black Bird, Blue Road | Sofiya Pasternack
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Deserving of awards, this is an engaging & educational historical fantasy. I would recommend it. Having said that, I closed my eyes for the descriptions of Hanson‘s Disease. Early in the novel, our protagonist is tasked with amputating part of one of her brother‘s digits. Lordy!

18 likes1 stack add
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RebL
Grandad's Pink Trousers | Lucie Hasova Truhelkova
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My friend, I get it. Completely on board with your activities. Maybe just communicate with your wife. #picturebooks #GlobalBooks

12 likes2 stack adds
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I listened to the audiobook while reading the physical copy so that I could properly fall into the academy. I immersed myself so fully that the footnotes may have been my favorite part. Additionally, reading the critique of how heavy handedly the author treated the theme of imperialism surprised me. Either I already hold the bias or I was too into the translation stuff or both that I barely noticed!

20 likes1 stack add
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1) Recommended for any human who cares about gender equity & wants to get pissed off.
2) I thought *I* was a Hillary Clinton fan. She figures huge in these pages.
3) If this was written post-Covid-19, the data would just piss me off more.

23 likes3 stack adds
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But doesn‘t it? My brain says yes, but I‘m ready for the revolution. I agree with other Littens that the book is better when the science-based assertions kick in than when the anecdotal is used. Also A+ LGBTQIA+ & LGBTQIA+-inclusive representation.

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I enjoyed this memoir. Her rise to fame is less interesting than the rest. I‘d love to see a nonfiction book come out of the Geena Davis Institute b/c I‘m not likely to pick up the reports: https://seejane.org (pretty cool domain tho).

11 likes1 stack add
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@wow_reads podcast drop: WOW Teen Reading Ambassadors participate in #BigReadTucson to discuss Postcolonial Love Poem & We Are Water Protectors ▶️ https://worldsofwords.buzzsprout.com/2080893/12275654-wow-reads-bonus-trap-joins...

SamAnne So good. 3mo
SamAnne So good. 3mo
17 likes2 comments
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RebL
This post contains spoilers
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I‘ve enjoyed soapy historical fiction throughout all my reading phases. This book is no exception. However, my ability to gloss over “that was an accepted practice at the time” has dwindled. With that in mind, I‘ll hold this real historical figure who was born on Valentine‘s Day & died at age 16 in my heart for just a little bit longer.

6 likes1 stack add
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RebL
All My Rage | Sabaa Tahir
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Written for readers who enjoy having their heart squeezed by the giant hand of bleak experiences. And there‘s a playlist!
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#TFOB prep

TrishB Oh I love that description! 4mo
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Listening to this book, the antagonist is Parrish. You don‘t see that name often! I wondered if it was spelled with one R or two, so I got the paper version. Dude‘s name is Perish.
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#tfob prep

19 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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My hold for this book from the library finally came through, & I had to stop myself from reading at 3a so I could get sleep for work. Then I bought a stack to give to friends, which I was going to photograph but gave them all away right away. Here‘s a playlist that will enhance your experience: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FwghDk8f8jgJdGPIF1RNM

15 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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I felt like I‘d heard much of this before, which isn‘t likely since Midge covers recent events. So, I can‘t explain that. Although this book didn‘t grab ahold of me, I would watch a television series developed by Midge & I‘d follow on social.
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Found via @psalva

13 likes1 stack add
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RebL
The Guest List | Lucy Foley
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I read this b/c of the Agatha Christie comparisons, which is silly because I don‘t think I‘ve ever read an AC book. The victim isn‘t revealed until the end, but I kept thinking I spaced some portion. I often feel like I‘m reading great books, but don‘t know it.

15 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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This has been on my TBR since it previewed. Glad I got around to it. This is a coming of age memoir, so I get why it‘s marketed as YA. However, maybe that‘s a disservice to the story in that it limits the readership. My hope is that adults will read it because Henley addresses much more than hardship & bullying. Henley writes around her experience in ways that can drag us past empathy towards behavioral change.

16 likes1 stack add
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RebL
When Stars Are Scattered | Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed
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This is just a yes. Omar Mohamed first arrived in the US in my adopted hometown & graduated from the university where I work. Anyway, no book blurb will do this book justice. Must read & experience.

16 likes1 stack add
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I went on a decades-long spending freeze as a result of not having money. I also came to realize I didn‘t need so much. ? Even so, life left me with a lot of puerquería & now I‘m letting stuff go. I‘m not exactly on a spending freeze at the moment though. Overlooking economic inequalities that stuck a bit, this went quick & matched my current motivation.

Tamra We lived like college students for so MANY years out of necessity. It wasn‘t too difficult as I don‘t like clutter anyway. But, I‘m finding it a difficult task with children in the household. It‘s a constant balancing act. 🤑 5mo
RebL @Tamra Yes! That‘s exactly it. This author lives alone for the duration of this book. Even with modest consumption, I‘m decluttering kids, dead people & an ex. 5mo
Tamra @RebL that must feel good to not have to spend e/o day on kid activities and to purge all that stuff gathering dust! 5mo
16 likes1 stack add3 comments
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RebL
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I bought this at Vroman‘s in Pasadena; it has stayed on my DNF TBR for 6 months. It‘s a slim volume that I hoped would not feel like work. I tried reading it on vacation first, but it seemed too dense. Later I tried reading it to escape work but could not unscramble the words. Turns out my brain was just rebelling, & the story provides plenty of space for thoughts to meander. Also, adored Vroman‘s.

13 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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I wanted to read a Christmas-themed book, but this is one that just occurs over Christmas. It‘s a sweet enough romance, but I saw big red flags when our heroine realizes she & her potential beloved are opposites politically.

11 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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As a lifelong Wonder Woman fan (but no real feelings re: Marvel/DC), I may never tire of woman warrior characters. Okoye takes on a baddie (also a woman!) while exposing injustices like those that occur around gentrification. Also, NCLB takes a slap under the guise of the fictional No Nation Left Behind.
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#TFOB prep

13 likes1 stack add
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RebL
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Either I just learned a lot of science or I just primed myself to join a microbiome cult.

SamAnne 😂😂😂 5mo
9 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Working on my own second chances—emphasis on the work. Looking for inspo & hope.

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This is one of my favorite YAs of 2022. Tons of action, but none of it rushed. Quiet, beautiful descriptions. Multiple complicated character relationships, & to a lesser extent court intrigue. Also, I learned some about Chinese tea ceremonies. Plus, the author sent our teen group these postcards & stickers.

9 likes3 stack adds
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RebL
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I share the general opinion of Littens who posted before me about this book. Even so, I would like to set aside time to take a deeper dive into some of the exercises around identifying what I find as fun. Unfortunately, I‘m much better at finding the un-fun, like my newly plumbed zillion dollar shower not draining. That aside, I would suggest this book to a particular reader.

8 likes1 stack add
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RebL
The Hidden Knife | Melissa Marr
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Melissa Marr spoke to the middle grade group I work with. She will probably be one of my favorite author visits because she expressed genuine interest in the young people & sharing info they would find interesting. They liked the tagged book, esp the gargoyles, but asked about the ending. She answered candidly & called them brave.

6 likes1 stack add
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RebL
Punching the Air | Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam
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Can we really call it a criminal “justice” system? Great book, horrible reality.

13 likes1 stack add
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The first half of this book aligns with the awesome mom-blog scene of the two thousand aughts. Good, but we‘ve heard it. The second half is better. But seriously, Chelsea, funniest ever?

britt_brooke LOL …. it‘s probably the only parenting book Chelsea‘s read. 3mo
RebL @britt_brooke 😆 My thoughts exactly. 3mo
12 likes1 stack add3 comments
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RebL
The Darkening | Mara, Sunya
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Talk about action packed! I couldn‘t visualize the world as well as I can in some fantasies, but it‘s still a pick for me with teens. Also, I like morally gray areas.
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Prep work for the Tucson Festival of Books. #TFOB

11 likes1 stack add
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RebL
How the Stars Came To Be | Poonam Mistry
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After gushing over the illustrations, my boss sent me home with this book. This is a modern folk tale about a girl who wants her fisherman father to have light during the new moon. The dark text on black background is too hard to read—especially in a dim bedtime situation. So, fine, just look at the pictures.

Tamra Gorgeous! 6mo
LoverOfLearning Wow stunning cover! 6mo
11 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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RebL
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I‘m a sucker for family dynamics—and Reyes delivers a boatload. Still, Yamilet makes it work every day. When I think about young people being resilient, she is what I think about. Okay, they are resilient, but do we have to have systems that make it harder? Why is that a value?
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Recommend by J. Elle. Prepping for the Tucson Festival of Books. #TFOB

13 likes2 stack adds
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Littens, when I tell you I‘ve been on autopilot—I did not realize this was the sequel. I mean I knew it, but then stuff. I read it like it was the first. And it holds! But this is the danger of reading for work rather than pleasure. I‘m no factory reader.

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