I have like 30ish pages left in part 1 and when I started I was like “why is part one so short?” And yet, for the last like 100 pages I have wanted to smack David. (Also, I am definitely not finishing this weekend as I secretly hoped even knowing it was unrealistic.)

Cloudy with a chance of happily ever after. From the heroine with an internal dialogue that was similar to my own sometimes (it's fine if you have a crush if you ignore it and no one knows) and a plus size hero who was sweet and a little guarded, this one won me over and distracted from the “let's get the bosses back together“ subplot that was second-hand embarrassment central for me. https://youtu.be/DE3BnvV33X4

Determined to finish this today yet.

What did everyone think of the Hating Game movie? I'll admit to being a little wary at first, and there were parts that didn't 100% work for me, but I ended up having a great time. Which is what I went in for, so success. https://youtu.be/LXRVigoT3RY

Book club time.

Continuing to work through audiobooks I started and never finished.

I think this is great for fans of Ruth Ware, like the comp. I do wish the tension and sense of whether our protagonist was perceiving reality was ramped up here. But great voice and pacing and a quick read to transport you mentally to the beach. https://youtu.be/fdo4eQzUNMM

I feel like I spent so much of 2021 in and out of this audiobook because I was having trouble focusing on audio so often—let alone fiction in audio. But I finished it up in 2022 and am hoping to continue working through my board of titles.

Had a great romance book club earlier this week and sneakily introducing some fave historical authors before we tackle another year of reading. We talked the most about the MacLean. Jordan was a fan favorite. All were enjoyed. Coming up on 1 year for this book club and it‘ start is one of my favorite things of 2021. Next up is Red White & Royal Blue 😀

Hi, hello, I am reading for book club and am obsessed with the sentence “To wit, profanity first involved the holy, and only later the holes.”

I am a sucker for pop culture essays—and was especially looking forward to essays about the decade I came of age in through a different lens. It can be easy to forget just how far we‘ve come since the 2000s. (Also I would like another series a la VH1s “I loved the 80s” this time not done while still in the decade)

Okay, you win. This was cute. I oddly really enjoyed the backstage production parts of this reality dating show—while knowing the verisimilitude may not be high.

Happy New Year Litsy friends. Here‘s to great reads in 2022.

Me beginning of the day: I have to get everything back on the train with me and I just got a new Kobo for XMas so I have to show restraint
Me end of the day and 2 bookstores later: ☝️

Sorry, I can‘t. I‘m almost done with my book and have a sleeping cat.

How we feeling about the Station Eleven trailer? Guess I better bump up my reread. https://youtu.be/25ECFdDHTFw

Sleepily working through some short stories. When I realized I had missed this release in 2019 I acquired from the library immediately.

This one didn‘t frustrate me as much as Finale, but neither did it have the all the magic of Caraval

A great option if you're looking for some dark academia this October. While the tension between reality and the supernatural isn't as blurred as I anticipated toward the end, it still establishes a haunting tone that looks into the idea of obsession https://youtu.be/gR-7wo9OuQQ

When the bookstore has a copy of the book you‘ve been wanting to reread it‘s a sign. This Bridgerton reread has me wanting to revisit all my early/mid 2000s favorites and this definitely qualifies.

My personal favorite of the witchy romances I think--though I've always responded well to Sterling's voice (Rachel Hawkins in YA).The witchy elements are there just enough to set the world and give us a bit of a time constraint to help the banter and character work shine. It's a good middle between Witch Please and Payback's a Witch in tone. I talk slightly more in depth about the witchy romances on youtube --> https://youtu.be/JApQiQGRxco

How is my staycation almost over?! 😭 (Finally jumping back into this one as it was due back at the library before I could get more than like 10 pages read and there was a hold list so I just bought it. Totally normal.)

This was spooky but also modernized-- looking at the impact of deindustrialization and the war on drugs and mass incarceration‘s impact on communities and corporate greed and also the corruption in small (-ish this community was still bigger than the one I grew up in) communities. And, like with the world around us, safety is more complicated than escaping the haunted house at the end. https://youtu.be/29Ga-S9sqI0

I wanted to love this one but the voice felt off for the demographic—even going for a more quirky tone. And maybe some of that was it felt like it was relying on the quirk over real action for much of the book. The witchiness felt rather light overall. And it didn‘t feel like all things were really resolved at the end. I have read this is great for fans of Gilmore Girls (which I, admittedly, have watched little of) so I'm sure others will enjoy

I‘m on a bit of a witchy romance kick. This one doesn‘t come out until Feb but is the romcom version of the paranormal romance world. I thought it was lots of fun and am looking forward to more.

Hands down some of the best essays I have read. I‘m already a sucker for essays that delve into societal analysis through pop culture but Abdurraqib blends pop culture, societal analysis, and the personal with beautiful and sharp sentences heightened by his poet background. I was brought to tears multiple times. And the unique ways he finds to wind through an essay are smart and compelling. Loved this one.

This one started out really strong for me and fizzled a bit. Anyone else read this one yet and have thoughts?

I had a great start to my spooky season reading with this highly anticipated gothic. https://youtu.be/be9059iNd8c

Texting my friend about my current read 😂

Anybody else at the part of the year where you‘re staring at just a fraction of your remaining more immediate feeling TBR like 😬😬😬

Sure, I may have waded into the Sally Rooney discourse (or edged up to the waterline anyway) but I read and had thoughts-- and mostly end up comparing to theatre and talking about those awkward kitchen party moments anyway https://youtu.be/CfAztwDi928

There's “No Way“ you'll wanna miss these reading recs if you've been jamming out to the Six cast recording or been intrigued by the recent morning/late show performances (or been a longtime member of the Queendom). Stick around until the end for a Megasix. https://youtu.be/U-yr09Et59c

Oh no I just actually laughed out loud in the bar (though I survived many church lock-ins without actually learning the rules).

In which I attempt to unpack some of Matrix and manage somehow to reference “the Laugh of the Medusa” by Hélène Cixous https://youtu.be/qgCYE_H4Ojc

Anyone else hate when you try to read with the jacket on and this ends up happening? (Don‘t even get me started on the page discoloration in some of the books in this stack that are no more than a year and a half old)

“And now, as the person writing them, they‘re a place to make my friends and family cry.” Was not expecting to see my name in the acknowledgements and am kinda emotional about it so mission accomplished I guess Sarah (but also these acknowledgements are delightful because they have Sarah‘s humor and heart so you should read them)

It's finally time to chat A Dark and Starless Forest! Found family, sentient woods, and a simmering rage as an undercurrent. This tight and contained and spooky novel is one to check out. https://youtu.be/1ethjsynDuI

Oh no, I think I had an unpopular opinion on this one 😬 (edit: or maybe not. I‘m now seeing reviews on here that weren‘t populating before 🤷‍♀️) https://youtu.be/PjIHxBXos68

Not me babbling to the bookseller about the influencer swag boxes that went out for this one (and marketing I get it) while the formatting on the digital ARC was unreadable (and I‘ve read some bad formatting) when they told it comes with a postcard. Don‘t worry; I am properly embarrassed. This is what happens when I don‘t talk to anyone all day 😂

Getting in audiobook time while wandering the zoo today.

After a mini-slump of sorts in July, I started getting back into a better pace in August. My summer reading maybe hasn't been 100% what I've hoped (the TBR looms large) but I've still read some great stuff. https://youtu.be/OW3A_aHm_wI

What do Jonestown, Scientology, Amway, Soul Cylce, and Instagram spiritual influencers have in common? Utilization of “cultish” language to some extremity.
This book dives into the vernacular of cults, using phrases and language as examples, but breaks down the specifics of the language being used less than I expected. Still, this book is the brand of nonfiction I love that‘s a little bit pop culture, a little bit sociological analysis.

Getting to this section of Cultish tonight while also seeing there are multiple COVID deaths linked to the August Paparazzi convention.

MacLean does it again with another smart and steamy start to a romance series—this time following a Victorian vigilante girl gang. With vibrant interior and exterior worlds, this, if you haven‘t read yet, would be a great way to spend part of the long weekend. https://youtu.be/cH5aXSiCXaw

Last night I was deep into my book only to realize I had mass market ink thumb. Please tell me others deal with this too.

Lots of big titles coming this month. What is everyone most excited for? I'm going with my friend Sarah's book https://youtu.be/x9h0FI3Izp8

Making a start in the new Sarah MacLean before romance book club to talk about Benedict and Colin Bridgerton.

Rereading Romancing Mr. Bridgerton again for romance book club. The Hitchhiker‘s reference is a great distraction from having wanted to punch Benedict in the face most of his book and knowing I‘m gonna wanna smash Colin‘s face a fair bit too. Like I love them...but also want to smash their faces a bit.

Ultimately not my favorite Moreno-Garcia so far, but also kind of perfect for this oppressive heat https://youtu.be/ziQZu11_XDM

An entertaining enough listen from when I was in a bit of a slump (at this point I think the heat is driving a lot of it.) It sometimes felt like it lacked narrative propulsion but was very interesting. And somehow we still managed to show up in Chicago for a bit.