2025: not a great year, but a great reading year for me. Happy to have experienced much bookish joy with all of you! ❤️ #Top25of25

Grateful that this was on @monalyisha ‘s 2025 #AuldLangSpine list because I may never have gotten to it otherwise. An outstanding memoir by the Pulitzer-winning playwright (she wrote In the Heights and more) that‘s brilliant on audio (as I‘m so glad you noted, Alyisha!). I just loved how she wrote about her Puerto Rican family and culture, growing up in Philadelphia, her time at Yale and Brown, religion, language, music, writing, and so much more.

Wow, this book was incredible (and incredibly distressing). I was considering it a work of journalism (and it is) the whole way through. Only as I was finishing did I learn Goldstone has a PhD in anthropology, and it SHOWS. The depth of the profiles he includes was super impressive, as were the connections he made throughout to the policy failures and social issues that created and sustain our terrible housing crisis.

The PERFECT #JolabokaflodSwap gift @Born.A.Reader !! I love a dark Lindt truffle, and thank you for the sweet card and bonus bookmarks! I‘m thrilled to have this; only flipped through it previously but ended up bringing my library copy to my sociology of food class to share with students this fall, as I found Harris‘s framing of American culinary traditions SO powerful. Now I can share my own copy when I teach the class again next quarter! 🥹❤️💚

I was probably going to like this book no matter what, given its focus on Wisconsin, football, and Amish folks. But it also happened to be a beautifully written story (by an author who lives in the same county I grew up in!) with some characters that will stay with me. Love finding an addition to my own “Top Books of the Year“ list in late December. ❤️

These little kitties (+ a book + chocolate) are headed from CA to PA! ❤️💚📚🍫 #JolabokaflodSwap

Very happy to have finally gotten to this excellent selection from @monalyisha 's #AuldLangSpine list!! Sea creatures are a big thing in my community (San Diego) and in my household (professionally and recreationally), but I still learned a whole bunch about them from this book. Best of all was Imbler's gorgeous writing and the deep personal stories they enmeshed with the science-y stuff in the most brilliant way.

Wish I‘d heard more about this very well-researched and -written book (which did win some awards and was nominated for others). It‘s such a window into undocumented life in LA. Hard to imagine anyone not growing in empathy after reading this (and it holds special meaning for me because I began teaching sociology to incarcerated men in SoCal this year). Great audio narration by the author.

Lucky me to have received this lovely package from the opposite coast! The bookish holiday stickers!! 😍 Grateful already, @Born.A.Reader ! ❤️💚📚🍫 #JolabokaflodSwap

Saw this headline the other day, sprinted to find the book (which I hadn‘t heard of before):

“He spent decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now he's an elected official”

https://www.npr.org/2025/11/19/nx-s1-5611459/he-spent-decades-in-prison-for-a-cr...

HIGHLY recommend (and I really enjoyed Aaron Goodson‘s narration of the audio version).

Was so saddened by news of the passing of the incredible Alice Wong. This book is such an important read by and about disabled folks and features an impressive range of voices and perspectives. I plan to finally read Wong‘s memoir in the coming days. Again, such a loss to humanity, but what a legacy she leaves behind.

While I would certainly not call myself a presidential history enthusiast 😆, I‘m so glad the new Netflix series put this book and author on my radar because I‘m a big fan of both now. This was very well-written and engaging and tied together so many historical events and figures that I didn‘t realize were connected. (Not to mention I knew nearly nothing about Garfield, who was impressive.) Now I can‘t wait to dive into Death by Lightning!

Excellent memoir that I flew through. Despite good intentions and repeat library checkouts, I've never read any of Macy's previous books. I especially still want to after listening to this because her writing and storytelling totally worked for me. A highly recommended but very non-escapist read for right now in the U.S.

Really enjoyed this. Will certainly be correcting my error of never getting to The Turner House the many times I checked it out of the library, because her writing and characters were fantastic here. This ended up going somewhere I didn‘t expect but found *very* (and disturbingly) effective.

I‘m glad she‘s still speaking, and I‘m glad to have read this, bittersweet as it was. Was definitely a comfort hearing her voice narrate the audiobook. (Still haven‘t had the heart to take the pictured off of my office wall.)

Awww - lots to love in this story of marginalized folks who found pride and courage and community in each other. (Also California is its own country in this… 👀) 🩷

HE WON!!!!! 😮 😭 💃 I screamed. If you enjoyed his speech, know that this book is (delightfully) just a bunch more of that. 🩷 🩷 🩷 🩷 🩷

I really enjoyed this! Light on plot but rich in detail about everyday life in a beautifully supportive yet deeply restrictive and crushingly patriarchal religious commune setting. Contemplative and nerdily verbose, and somehow also hilarious! Ruth is ever observant and curious and questioning and I loved her. Grateful for a copy of this from Riverhead and also did some of it via audio since Rebecca Lowman is such a great narrator.

Nothing like finding the latest from one of your favorite childhood home state authors in your faraway neighborhood LFL. 🩷 #Wisconsin #California

Great read that confronts patriarchy in families, communities, and the church head on. Strong sense of time and place with plenty of charm and humor amidst the tension and heartbreak. Loved the narration by personal faves Bahni Turpin and Dion Graham, as well as Andre Giles and Angel Pean (who were less familiar to me, but I see Angel's performed lots of titles on my TBR - time to add her to the search-by-narrator list!).

Catching up on my #AuldLangSpine recs from…2024! 😆 Thank you, @Deblovestoread - this one was outstanding. I‘d been happy to see Rebecca Wait on your list because she seems so beloved here on Litsy. I now see why. Loved the writing, and these characters will stay with me.

I like Chris Hayes as a TV anchor, but I *really* like him as an author and audiobook narrator. (A Colony in a Nation was also great.) I‘d recommend this book to anyone interested in the challenges of attention in our media/info-oversaturated age (and especially to anyone who, like me, just can‘t with Jonathan Haidt‘s work). Hayes is VERY grounded in sociology here, which made me very happy.

I read so much about White Christian nationalism but missed this one back when it came out, even though I respect the author from his podcast. Really well done. A lot of basics re: the history of the Religious Right, but I especially appreciated his deeper dive into the SoCal influence on that (which I suppose I would, given that I live there, but I think it‘s interesting regardless!).

I loved this just as I loved the gone-too-soon Somebody Somewhere: very, very much. Like the show, this was hilarious, frank, sweet, sharp, and heartwarming. The perfectly performed audiobook (again, like the show) had me laughing out loud frequently and tearing up, too. I'm sure he's a long shot, but I SO wish Hiller would win the Emmy for which he's nominated. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic! I loved the MC Doris's voice as much as that of any character I've encountered in a long time. And Bahni Turpin's narration was of course perfect. The interweaving of historical events and figures, in all their complexity, was done really well, I think. And the matter-of-factness around abortion was (way more) refreshing (than it should feel in 2025).

Glad to finally know why that bird is on the cover!! 😆

Liked this overall and in the end found it more moving than I thought I would halfway through. Looking forward to Saturday's chat!

So pleased about this exceptionally good recent Dollar Tree find, because it reminded me that I really love listening to cookbook audiobooks while referencing the print copy. I know listening to recipes read aloud isn‘t for everyone, but it is for me! And Nigella has to be one of the very best at making that compelling. This was a great reading experience and I can‘t wait to try many of the recipes.

Oh how I would‘ve loved to have known this man! I teared up while reading this. 🥹💙

Gift link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/books/man-died-book-list-thousands.html?unloc...

His list: https://what-dan-read.com

Link to the recording of the book talk with Emily St. James that I‘d posted about last week - it was delightful (as is she!): https://youtu.be/oqRAV4GJQNY
#CampLitsy25

An impulse listen and uncommon genre choice for me, but I‘m always here for a sharp yet empathetic critique of #tradwife culture! 😆 And I‘ve enjoyed the author as a podcast guest before. This was a fun, sometimes bonkers read with pleasing narration, and I flew through it.

Seems like a cool event (tomorrow) with many spots available. I loved this book so much and can‘t wait to discuss this weekend! #CampLitsy25

https://writer.org/event/emily-st-james/

What a fierce, funny, *very* frank writer. A memorable passage about RBF:

“This is the same reason I developed resting bitch face. Some people perceive this phenomenon as some sort of curse, a misfortune. They miss the point, don't understand that it can be a weapon, a face carved from years of harassment and unwanted attention. I'm aware that I have it, and I don't apologize for it.“

Worth checking content warnings if you avoid certain topics.

What a stunner. I loved this (and as a latecomer to Vuong am resisting the urge to just launch right into his memoir!). So much to praise here - of course the writing, incredible characters, and a fantastic setting. I especially loved everything about the restaurant where Hai worked - certainly the found family aspect, but all else, too, including the industrial food details (maybe because my first job was in small-town fast food?).

I really enjoyed this and am glad to have learned more about a lesser-known part of American history. Both timelines explored complex family relationships and nicely balanced the hard times with the heartwarming. Lovely audio narration, too. Must go back and read Take My Hand soon!

Good July 4th thoughts, I think. ❤️‍🩹

Another wonderful, informative graphic novel from George Takei and his talented team. Like They Called Us Enemy, this is a hard read at times due to personal and historical challenges he covers, but it‘s also full of his dearness and humor. I learned new things about his activism and political career. This is a powerful portrayal of the inhumanity of forcing people to hide who they are (one that shouldn‘t be so relevant today).

Due to an especially busy and draining spring semester, I didn't read nearly as much from @monalyisha ‘s #AuldLangSpine list as I would have liked in January/the first half of 2025. Hoping to make up for that in the second! This was so lovely. 💚 Many standout essays, and even though it‘s summer where I am, somehow the winter ones resonated most strongly, I think because of the moral winter we‘re living through right now. 😞

Really enjoyed this! Strong historical parallels, great MC and some memorable supporting ones, and I loved the Montana and SF settings. Plus I appreciated the writing and the audio narration as much as (even more than?) any of these.

This was great! There‘s a lot going on - the pandemic, social media influencing, communal living, a MAGA sister, sometimes spicy polyamory, many goats, generational differences re: social justice work, kooky TV adaptations, critiques of capitalism, and plenty of hilarious hijinks. And of course Alison Bechdel makes it all work with her brilliant writing and drawing.

An uplifting and inspiring read for today, especially when paired with the really well-produced audiobook. #Juneteenth

I had a mountain of grading to do tonight when my reluctant reader came into my office wanting to sit and read to me all 600+ names of the animals in this (ADORABLY illustrated!) book. The choice was clear. 🤷‍♀️

Pure magic! This book brought me so much joy during an over-the-top busy week and was the perfect thing to pull me away from the over-the-top awful daily news. I might love this as much as Rabbit Cake (though RC is due a reread). I fell hard for these characters (Pancakes the most but all the rest, too) and will never tire of Hartnett‘s blend of whimsy, tenderness, and just the right amount of darkness. A (maybe THE) fave of the year for sure.

Another pick from Marcy Dermansky for me! I set this one aside for a bit after not quite loving the beginning/premise but grew to really like it. Themes of motherhood, privilege, greed, and wanting run deep beneath the surface silliness of some aspects of the story (and I ended up enjoying the silliness, too).

I adored this. The characters and their messiness and growth, the Midwest setting, and so much sweetness and humor (alongside plenty of complex issues, painful moments, and emotional depth that felt really authentic) made this such a joy to read. Even when a few plot turns strained credulity, I quickly came around to loving those choices made by St. James (whose work I've appreciated since her A.V. Club days!). Fantastic audio, too.

Unintentionally color-coordinated birthday impromptu Dollar Tree book haul! (Truest birthday wish: more time and bandwidth for reading them/enjoying all of my bookish pastimes! 🙃)

Wow, 9 years!! 😮 It‘s such a gift to connect with you all here. This joyful space has been there for us through some very interesting times, hasn‘t it? Looking forward to many more happy moments here!

Thought I should get this off the ol' TBR before checking out Wild Dark Shore. WOW - fantastic. Emotionally engaging, deep in its themes/messages, and riveting in a would‘ve-stayed-up-'til-3-AM-to-finish-if-my-body-let-me sort of way. A top read of 2025 so far for sure.

Adored this and found it a perfect and much-needed escape from reality! I especially loved that Linda Holmes narrated the audio version herself. My favorite of her three novels so far!

Thinking I may need to shift to books that are about escaping our current reality, as I keep reading the opposite and it‘s heavy. 🙃 But this is a good one, by a well-known sociologist (still doing vital work in her mid-eighties!) and based on ethnographic research where she deeply studies and truly listens to those whom we might perceive as voting against their own interests. A powerful takeaway is Hochschild‘s assertion that many (who ⬇️

This is a really accessible yet info-packed read that I'd certainly recommend to anyone hoping to learn more about the history of White Christian Nationalism (which I wish wasn't yet again/still/[endlessly?!] such an urgent social problem, but here we are 🙃). Jemar Tisby is excellent wherever he writes/presents his ideas, including his Substack (jemartisby.substack.com). He narrates the audio beautifully, too.