I‘m about to buy some comfy shoes, quit my job & go to work at the Met. Or at least visit a museum.
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.
I‘m 💯going to say “police occupation” instead of “over-policing” from now on.
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.
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.
Reading this made me feel guilty for liking Sam so much. On the plus side, I read this with my own daughter.
I‘m not sure which Litten put this on my TBR, but thank you! Now I need a Mitford biography.
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.
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.
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. 🙌🏼
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.
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.
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.
I‘ve had enough of Bowen… and his mother… and his secret… and mushrooms. I‘m ready for something better for Song.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
My friend, I get it. Completely on board with your activities. Maybe just communicate with your wife. #picturebooks #GlobalBooks
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!
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.
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.
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).
@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...
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Either I just learned a lot of science or I just primed myself to join a microbiome cult.
Working on my own second chances—emphasis on the work. Looking for inspo & hope.
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.
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.
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.
Can we really call it a criminal “justice” system? Great book, horrible reality.
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?
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.
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
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.
