⭐️⭐️ Shocking, gruesome violence and hot button societal issues are sure to garner attention. 🙄 I can appreciate how difficult it is to write a short story collection, but I DO NOT appreciate, nor respect, a fictionalized school shooting for entertainment value. Not in a short story. NOT EVER. And certainly not in this manner. (cont in comments) ⬇️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My husband always says I never read anything he recommends. That‘s not *entirely* true, but anyway, this is for him. 😙 Fur trapper Hugh Glass is grotesquely mauled by a grizzly bear & left for dead by the men tasked with helping him. But - surprise! - he doesn‘t die. This novelization (w/ liberties) of actual events is about survival & revenge. The west was wild, y‘all. Punke‘s writing is rich & solid. I hate when my husband‘s right.

▶️🎧 #FridayBlack | Started this short story collection yesterday, but not listening right this sec because we‘re at the park. Grabbing some extra 👣 by walking laps while my 5 year old plays. We are so fortunate to have this AMAZING all-inclusive playground nearby. It‘s for kids of all abilities and really warms my heart. There‘s even a swing (not pictured) that can accommodate a wheel chair. 💚

Happy Monday! ☀️
#bookfitnesschallenge

#bookfitnesschallenge #week2 | My #motivation are these two sweet little goofballs (almost* 7 yr old on the left, 5 yr old on the right). My 5 yr old is a giant!! 😆 Today, they had soccer then we went swimming for two hours at the Y. It‘s been a fun, active day. I have to stay healthy for them, plain and simple.

Hope everyone has a great week! 👟💪🏻🚴🏻‍♀️👣📚

🤓 A month ahead of schedule. I can‘t help it, I‘m a goals/numbers person and like to compete with myself. This is a true #blamelitsy moment for me. 😆 Before I joined this fantastic community 3 years ago, my one-year record was 52 (which, don‘t get me wrong, is awesome), however, my reading has increased so much because of all of you fabulous readers! What great influences you are! 😙😙

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What the what? I grabbed this recent Audible deal not knowing much about Mel B‘s life. She goes deep into her past relationships including a quite messed up marriage that lasted 10 years, produced her third daughter, & yielded 50+ sex tapes (some w/ disturbing content). That husband was a real piece of ... work. Scary Spice has been through some shit & does not sugarcoat nor discount the unhealthy ways she coped. Brutally honest, indeed.

#bookfitnesschallenge #BFC | Week one complete! I missed my spin goal due to an unplanned trip to Kentucky because my MIL is in the hospital (she‘s ok).

🎧 3 audiobooks (goal 2/week)
🚴🏻‍♀️ 15 miles (goal 30mi/week)
💪🏻 3x
🥵 other cardio (stairclimber, rower, and a very short run)
👣 Exceeded 10k everyday except 1, but got 14k one day, so I‘m calling it good.

Hope everyone had a sweaty first week!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a really cute and generally well-executed adaptation, however, the lack of scleras made the eyes look a bit odd. I know that‘s nit picky, but I‘m just being honest. Otherwise the illustrations are really beautiful. Anne still touched my heart.

#bookmail | Bukowski on stuff. 🐱📝🍷

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I honestly can‘t believe it‘s been 25 years since Cobain‘s death. His friend and former manager has penned an intimate look at the brilliant, but troubled artist during the peak of Nirvana‘s fame through his tumultuous last days. This is an honest and touching tribute, though admittedly biased (naturally). It‘s an excellent companion to the meticulously detailed Michael Azzerad biography.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ French is a slow-burn expert. I‘m not usually one for thrillers/mysteries, but when the writing is this solid, I‘m all in. Her characters are well-fleshed & believable; the atmospheric setting is easy to visualize. I was there residing in the Knocknaree wood, totally creeped out. This crime within a crime creates the right amount of speculation & distrust. I disagree with those not satisfied with the outcome. It was just right.

▶️🎧

Enjoying this so far. Hard to believe Cobain has been gone 25 years.

Happy Mother‘s Day! 💐✨🥂

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I grabbed this book on a trusted friend‘s recommendation. I haven‘t seen their series but, you guys, these are MY kind of moms. Kristin is basically me, except I *do* love banana-flavored candy. It‘s honest &hilarious while discussing some very real issues about life & parenting. It‘s the most relatable “mom book” I‘ve ever read. Kristin & Jen remind us that we‘re not alone which is so important to remember on the toughest days.

A day late: #hellothursday #bookfitnesschalleng

1. I‘m truly 50/50, but I‘ll say cardio just because I‘m a spinning addict 🚴🏻‍♀️🎶
2. Gym, simply because of all the machines at my disposal + childcare
3. Audiobooks for lifting, music for cardio
4. I love hiking with my family
5. My favorite - and best - workout is always spin. I can really push myself, there‘s excellent music, and I have several spin buddies that help make it less painful.

⭐️⭐️ “Now, I ain‘t sayin‘ she a gold digger” .... actually, yeah. I am. Holiday “Holly” Golightly is a beautiful, charismatic opportunist and a fraud. As expected, Capote‘s writing is fantastic, but I detested its “American Geisha.” I appreciate that for a book published in the late 1950s, Golightly‘s language and behavior is quite brazen, but even that couldn‘t save the story for me.

The 5 year old and I are grabbing a few pages while the 6 year old (almost 7 😭) practices soccer. It‘s a beautiful evening in middle Tennessee! ☀️ #raisingreaders

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had to finally read this considering Clueless is my all-time favorite movie. Unfortunately, the fun of figuring out how each character & situation adapted to the updated film version is the only reason I got through this. Though the full-cast audio narration is fab, it didn‘t quite save the boring story & dull characters. I might be dodging tomatoes here, but I after finally reading P&P a few years ago, & now this, I‘m not into Austen.

Gabbing a few post-spin pages. Happy Monday, Littens! ☕️

⭐️⭐️⭐️ It‘s funny that the one Vonnegut novel I had yet to read was the one he published first. In this satirical take on his time at General Electric, we are dropped into a post World War III mechanized dystopia. Automation has taken over menial jobs rendering some folks to perceive themselves as useless. A fight to take the world back from the machines ensues. As with many Vonnegut novels, this holds even more societal relevance today.

#bookfitnesschallenge | Count me in! If you‘re interested, check out Lynn‘s page for the sign up form.

My weekly goals:
🎧 2 audiobooks (12 total)
🚴🏻‍♀️ spin 30 miles
💪🏻 weights + other cardio 3x
🏃🏼‍♀️ slowly start running again
👣 at least 10k steps a day

Thank you for the motivating challenge, Lynn! Can‘t wait to see everyone‘s weekly progress!

Card covered!

Thanks a bunch for this challenge, Melissa! 🤗#nonfiction2019

April was audio-heavy due to home renovation and yard with. Pretty fab reading month!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Best Cook in the World
Gross Anatomy
Life Will Be the Death of Me
The Poet X

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Between the World and Me
Blitzed
Get Your Shit Together
I Miss You When I Blink
My Southern Journey
Theft by Finding
White Elephant
You‘ll Grow Out of It

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Normal People
Petty
Unicorn Crossing

⭐️⭐️
Daisy Jones & The Six
I Owe You One

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was unfamiliar with comedy writer and stand up comedian Jessi Klein prior to this, but I grabbed it on a friend‘s recommendation. Humorous personal stories are an audio dream. Klein amuses with essays about female expectations (both general and specific), her comedy career, and fertility struggles. My favorite essay was “Get the Epidural.” I wish I hadn‘t waited until hour 11 for mine. This collection was just what I needed. 👇🏻

⭐️⭐️⭐️ There‘s no doubt Rooney‘s writing is exquisite. Marianne and Connell are intricate, believable characters placed in real situations; both mundane and pivotal. I love a dark and miserable character study, I really do, but I just got sooo tired of their little song and dance. Oy, were they insufferable and exhausting. Maybe that was the point? I don‘t know. Loved the writing, and bits of the story, but overall, it was just okay.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this in print in 2017, but I‘ve been working on the interior of our house, and well, Sedaris on audio is ALWAYS a great distraction. So, I‘ve been doing a bit of audio multitasking lately. I was fortunate enough to meet this delightful weirdo (twice) and get my book signed. Love him! This will likely appeal mostly to those who have read some of his other work. It‘s serious in the beginning, but his dry, dark humor still permeates.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I originally started reading the #PhoebeandHerUnicorn books as a way to connect with my 9 year old niece, but honestly, they are just fun little palate cleansers. Adorable illustrations and smart writing plus some great life lessons. Now, to mail this to my sweet niece so she can read it and add it to her collection. 🦄💕✨

Someone evidently offloaded their #NickHornby collection at Goodwill, so I snatched them up. Some of the others will be rereads. In all, it‘s a fab #bookhaul for just $9!

@Reviewsbylola - Isn‘t The Polysyllabic Spree one of your favorites?

“...literature moves him.”

Everybody‘s weird. Love it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alert! I‘m on f*ck overload. No, it‘s not as fun as it sounds. 🙃 I give way too many f*cks, often about things that really aren‘t all that important. Hilarious and frank, Sarah Knight has encouraged me in a way that the self-aggrandizing Rachel Hollis could never. This book about prioritizing is exactly what I needed while in the midst home renovation. I haven‘t read her other books yet, but I will! And the foul language works for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ As a teen, Petty found respite from his father‘s abuse by penning songs and making music. Gainesville was a burgeoning music scene in the late 60s/early 70s, birthing many successful acts. It‘s where bassist Tom Petty form the locally popular Mudcrutch. As we know, he eventually found commercial success with The Heartbreakers. This comprehensive biography presents Petty‘s prolific decades-long career, family tumult, friendships, and drugs.

Cracking into this one! I won it recently on IG. I‘m in love with the cover even though the reason the bookstagrammer who gave it away did so because he hated the cover (he liked the book and bought a different edition). 😆 #booksandbrews

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ah, I do enjoy a good suburban satire. Langsdorf focuses on three main families living in an established fictional DC suburb. All have different expectations. As McMansions threaten to take over the smaller, but charming original homes, a classic fight over trees ignites political unease. All hell breaks loose in this darkly humorous take on suburban life. Satire soothes my soul. I love when we can tastefully poke fun at real issues.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In an effort to burst her privileged bubble, Handler, with the aid of her brilliant, unflagging therapist, unearths who she is & why. After suffering a significant loss as a child, her already awkward family shifted. This memoir is a departure from her humorous essays, & while the wit is still there, this is some heavy shit. I appreciate her openness. The way her pieces came together made sense. It‘s never too late to work on yourself.

Such a fantastic read! #ebookdeal #dailydeal

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Altman divulges the weird shit we deal with as women in a hilarious and informative manner. From body hair to tush functions to camouflaging the “toe,” she boldly discusses personal experiences and reservations while also conducting valid research. Think of a less boring Mary Roach (sorry; I like your books but they‘re dry as hell) with an blunt and dark sense of humor. I actually snorted, you guys. Loved every second!

I had to share my new favorite bookish top with you all! A bunch of cool “banana pants” stuff was made in honor of #AlltheBooks 200th episode! 💚🍌👖

⭐️⭐️ Sexy, talented, selfish, & reckless, Daisy Jones thinks rules don‘t apply. She‘s totally obnoxious. None of The Six are particularly likable. The audio cast is incredible, but the story gets lost in the style. I don‘t do well with gimmicks (I‘m looking at you, too, Sleeping Giants). The oral history format disconnected me to the point that I didn‘t care & was often bored. And honestly, I‘d rather read about a real band than a fictional one.

⭐️⭐️ When I first became a reader in my early 20s, Kinsella was a favorite. It‘s funny how your tastes can change over time. I haven‘t enjoyed her books in a bit, so I haven‘t read anything since 2012‘s I‘ve Got Your Number. I wanted to give this a shot after seeing friends‘ positive reviews. I should‘ve skipped it. Super slow start, insufferable characters, frustrating situations. There‘s no reason it should‘ve taken 450 pages to tell this story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We read to better understand our surroundings, to better relate to other humans. Structured as an open letter to his son, Coates speaks eloquently of what it means to grow up in a black body in this country. His brutally honest words are full of pain & frustration, & sometimes, hope. Many have said he didn‘t bring new information to the race discussion, but I find that rude & irrelevant. His stories and thoughts deserve to be heard.

Starting this while waiting on an oil change and new tires. Thanks for passing this along to me @ferskner !

▶️🎧 Listening to this while doing yard work (🤬 you, weeds!!). This is definitely not living up to the hype, but it‘s compelling enough to continue.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Smart, witty personal essays are some of my favorite reading. Philpott reminds us that being an adult, even one who seemingly has everything, is hard and periodically sucks. Sometimes we have to step back and assess ourselves; tweak a few things or make drastic changes. As someone who has moved a lot, I understand that urge. I enjoyed these stories, but feel like they scratch the surface. I‘d read the hell out of a full-on memoir.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Methamphetamine was given to German soldiers to boost performance & reduce fear. But, did Hitler rely on drugs to sustain his physical health & charisma? Based on research & speculation, Ohler thinks that with Dr Theodor Morell‘s help, it began with vitamins but rapidly progressed to opiates. Late in the war, Hitler had visible body tremors. Were his shakes due Parkinson‘s or withdrawal? I don‘t know, but it‘s a thought-provoking theory.

A little post-soccer, pre-bedtime reading for my first grader. #raisingreaders

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This collection, largely culled from Southern Living, also contains articles originally published in Sports Illustrated, GQ, and more. Bragg‘s stories of Alabama and New Orleans, food, family, and SEC football together form a nice little love letter to the south. His soothing drawl - I listened to the audio - and wry wit are a delightful combination. He writes with such love and humor. I adore him.

Grabbing a few post-workout pages. 💪🏻📖 Zipping through this essay collection. Hope to finish and review it tomorrow.

#arc #nashvilleauthor

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This collection of family tales and recipes is so fondly and vividly written that I felt like I was back at my Memaw‘s, sitting on the counter sneaking bits of sugar cookie dough. Being from the south myself, these stories felt familiar, as did many of the recipes. The very mention of red eye gravy had me fiercely missing my grandpa. Bragg is a truly gifted storyteller; thoughtful and damned funny, too. This memoir is a big ol‘ hug.👇🏻

Only 5 more to fill my card! #nonfiction2019