@monalyisha on Litsy

pick

To be honest, this was as frustrating to read as it was compulsively readable. 😅 It‘s one of those stories where you want to SHAKE all of the characters for being self-absorbed jerks…but you‘re secretly praying for their evolution, growth, and redemption. By the end, I was celebrating little victories, mourning endings, and crossing my fingers for the future. Despite a stray, awkward sentence or two, I think this was very well-done.

monalyisha 1/1: Summary (from Goodreads, since it‘s not currently on Litsy): In present-day London, Yasmin Ghorami is twenty-six, in training to be a doctor (like her Indian-born father), and engaged to the charismatic, upper-class Joe Sangster, whose formidable mother, Harriet, is a famous feminist. The gulf between families is vast. So, too, is the gulf in sexual experience between Yasmin and Joe. 3d

monalyisha 2/2: As the wedding day draws near, misunderstandings, infidelities, and long-held secrets upend both Yasmin‘s relationship and that of her parents, a “love marriage,” according to the family lore that Yasmin has believed all her life. 3d

monalyisha Note: TW for abuse (domestic, sexual, emotional). This is called “a riveting social comedy” but it isn‘t. Not really. It‘s about families, which means that it has its share of tenderness and ribbing but the trauma and struggle, for me, felt a lot more prevalent — even alongside the love. Despite the author‘s clear wit, I don‘t think this can properly be called a “comedy” without conveying a half-truth about tone. (edited) 3d

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Megabooks Fantastic review!! 3d

JuniperWilde I appreciate the review - I loved the authors first book. 3d

CarolynM I started this a while ago and I agree it‘s readable, but I got distracted and haven‘t got back to it. Your review makes me want to pick it up again. 3d

monalyisha @CarolynM I wouldn‘t discourage that! The ending felt satisfying. 3d

monalyisha Thanks @Megabooks ✨! 3d

monalyisha @JuniperWilde I‘d read it - but I won‘t run to pick it up. I liked her writing but it wasn‘t a head-over-heels, new favorite author situation. I‘ve heard great things, though! 3d

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monalyisha

Ghosts in the House! | Kazuno Kohara

I mentioned a little bit ago that I was taking a rug-making workshop towards the end of May. Today was that day. Dig my little ghostie! 👻

SamAnne That is cute AF 4d

5feet.of.fury So cute! 4d

FlowerFairy Oh my goodness! So cute! 👻 4d

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dabbe Adorable! 💜💜💜 4d

Tamra Love it! 4d

Ruthiella Very cute! 💜 4d

rockpools That‘s so fun! 4d

DaveGreen7777 Awww! It‘s boo-tiful! 🤩👻 3d

monalyisha Thanks everyone! Appreciate the comments @SamAnne @5feet.of.fury @FlowerFairy @dabbe @Tamra @Ruthiella @rockpools ! And appreciate the pun, @DaveGreen7777 😜! 3d

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monalyisha

I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution | Emily Nussbaum

“Even more than most television of that era, the show sounded like a throwaway. It had that silly title [Buffy the Vampire Slayer]. It was based on a campy movie, starred a soap opera actress…And if you tried to describe the plot, it screamed “guilty pleasure”…It looked like a good way to kill time before getting back to analyzing themes of the public woman in George Eliot‘s Daniel Deronda…I‘d never finish my doctorate.”

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

monalyisha And I thought quitting 10 years of dance classes to watch Buffy on Tuesday nights was a big deal! 😂 (edited) 6d

Karons1 Omg 😱 I adored buffy in the 90s 😍😍 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures I read an article about how Buffy saved a family! The dad stayed back during a tornado to watch it while the family and their neighbors went to the root cellar, a tree fell on the cellar door and locked them in and the dad was able to cut up and move the tree! 5d

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thewallflower0707 I love Buffy, I own all the DVDs 📀 5d

TheLudicReader I think I have watched Buffy more times than any other show. It never gets old. 5d

AnneCecilie Love Buffy. I own all the DVDs and a lot of books. Both books set within the universe but also nonfiction focusing on the episodes and analysing those. Buffy got me reading books in English. 5d

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monalyisha

I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution | Emily Nussbaum

I‘ve owned this book, “I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution”, forever. Once I learned that it contained spoilers for shows I haven‘t gotten around to watching, I decided not to read it “yet.” I may never read it.

This morning, though, I remembered that it kicks-off with an essay about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And that? That I can read. A dozen times over. 🧛🏻‍♀️🧄⚰️

CallMeIshmael Buffy is the best 6d

monalyisha @CallMeIshmael Agreed! I don‘t think I could ever overemphasize how formative it was for me. 6d

CallMeIshmael @monalyisha same, episodes of that show spoke to my soul 5d

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JamieArc I‘ve had this on my audiobook shelf forever! Perhaps time to get to it. 5d

monalyisha @JamieArc It only floated to the top of my consciousness lately because my mother-in-law came over and noticed it on my shelves. She was like, “I like to watch”? Alyisha! You have to be careful about what you leave out!” 😂 She was being intentionally cheeky. Lovely, ridiculous woman. 5d

JamieArc @monalyisha She sounds great 😂 5d

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monalyisha

Pax | Sara Pennypacker

pick

I read Pax in 2016 when I was on a middle school book award committee, then again this week for my Children‘s Literature book club for adults. I forgot how much I truly loved it! It‘s “about” a boy & his fox. It‘s *about* the human capacity for hurt but also, healing & redemption. It‘s about the transformative power of anger (both good & bad), the costs of war, the right to choose, what‘s wild & tame, found family, & the power of story. 👇🏻

Magpiegem Wow it sounds amazing! One to pick up for my little boys xx 7d

monalyisha 1/1: In the acknowledgements, Pennypacker thanks her editors who she calls “insightful writers who don‘t tolerate any lazy sentences.” I imagine them yelling back to her the playground taunt, “NO, YOU ARE!” (or, “I know you are but what am I?”). It‘s a gorgeous book on every level. (edited) 7d

monalyisha @Magpiegem It‘s one I‘d recommend to specific kids rather than across the board, I think. It‘s quiet, thoughtful, and emotional - with a high vocabulary level and lots of words of wisdom. The connection between Peter & his pet fox will capture the attention of animal lovers, though, for sure! And I‘d recommend it enthusiastically to certain readers — just not without knowing more about their reading habits. 🦊 7d

WhyNotReadAllDay I remember reading this in middle school as well, and I remember it being simply emotion packed. It was a great book and unlike most others, I remembered it just hit different when I read it at night or in the evening. Hope you enjoy! 6d

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monalyisha

Picnic, Lightning | Billy Collins

#WondrousWednesday
Having worked in bookstores, I don‘t think I‘d want to own one. 🙈 Retail is stressful! But just for fun:

An indoor park & bookstore, inspired by winters in New England. A large grassy area. Lots of plants. SAD lamps. Blankets to borrow. A cafe to grab a picnic lunch: wine, cheese, fruit, nuts — charcuterie. Freshly-baked baguettes. Somewhere you can buy books, read, & forget it‘s cold outside. Perhaps called Picnic, Lightning.

Eggs

monalyisha I imagine we‘d have lots of overhead costs (literally, with the lighting!). We‘d likely have to charge an admission fee, like at a botanical garden. No music — at least, not in the park. Maybe some tunes &/or ambient nature sounds in the cafe. Coffee, obviously. And storytime once a week. Because who am I if I‘m not leading storytime? I think the bookstore itself would be fairly small, the selection highly cultivated & rotating. (edited) 7d

monalyisha Okay, okay…I‘ve changed my mind. Now accepting rich donors! 😂 7d

Eggs Great concepts 💙🩵💙 Thanks for playing 🥰 6d

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monalyisha

Unraveling: What I Learned about Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater | Peggy Orenstein

pick

During the pandemic, Orenstein kept busy learning to make a sweater from scratch: from shearing the sheep, to spinning and dyeing the yarn, ending with designing and knitting the pattern. I was expecting the tale to be slightly stressful due to the time during which it was written; I wasn‘t expecting the story to focus so much on climate change. I‘m glad it did, despite the resulting heaviness. 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/3: Californian wildfires rage, sheep go unshorn, microfibers are shed; the writer and her readers worry, worry, worry. Still, there‘s resourcefulness, hope, and connection. There‘s also grief - as Peggy mourns the recent death of her mother (who taught her to knit) and comes to terms with her father‘s worsening dementia. I was impressed by the balance of light topics and dark. 1w

monalyisha 2/3: My favorite section was entitled “I Would Dye 4 U.” Not only did it cause me to get into a seriously nostalgic musical groove (Question: how long has it been since YOU‘VE listened to “When Doves Cry”? Answer: too long) — but it convinced me to bump up some books about color closer to the top of my TBR. 1w

monalyisha 3/3: I‘d never read Orenstein before. I‘m impressed by her. I think she‘s a sharp, thorough, and clever writer. I also get the feeling that she‘s a pretty cool mom, partner, and friend. (edited) 1w

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monalyisha Tagging the color books on my TBR (for fun)!

Green: The History of a Color

monalyisha

Blue: The History of a Color

monalyisha Speaking of friends, I need to look up if she & Ann Patchett have met; based on their writing, it seems like they‘d really hit it off! 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures This looks fun! Did you see the recent NPR article about the sheering and shawl making competition? 1 sheep, 3 hours, 5 people - they must sheer, spin, and then crochet a shawl!! Sounds so interesting. 1w

monalyisha @ChaoticMissAdventures Wow, no! I‘m going to have to seek that out. Thanks for letting me know! 1w

Tamra @ChaoticMissAdventures I heard about that - crazy!! 😵 1w

Suet624 Love the detail and depth of this post. Thanks for reminding me to listen to my favorite music today while I‘m knitting. 😊 1w

Lindy The grief aspect of this memoir struck me as well. As you said, the balance of light and dark is really appealing. 1w

monalyisha @Suet624 Such a good combo. 💜🌧️ 1w

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monalyisha

Unraveling: What I Learned about Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater | Peggy Orenstein

“Impatience may be the enemy of perfection…but the perfect is the enemy of the good.”

Tamra Definitely it‘s the enemy of satisfaction & contentment or especially completion! 1w

monalyisha @Tamra And often of beginning! Recovering perfectionist here. Slowly and unsteadily recovering. Imperfectly recovering. 😅🙈 1w

Tamra @monalyisha ugh, completely agree and me too! Having kids has helped a lot because it becomes so obviously physically impossible. Earning another grad degree helped too because I began to let go of moving words & sentences around endlessly without any significant benefit. Done is done. 😁 Hard continual lesson - choose contentment. I am working on applying it to teaching practices by trying new things. (edited) 1w

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monalyisha

Thin Places | Kerri ni Dochartaigh

pick

I feel strongly about this book as a physical object; I think it might be the prettiest book I‘ve ever seen, with the gossamer wings of a moth gracing its cover. My feelings about the words inside are more complicated. The author tells of her life growing up in Ireland, specifically in Derry, at the center of the Troubles, in a mixed religion household. Her childhood home is bombed with her inside. 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/6: Though she and her family escape the resulting fire, the rest of her life is marked by this trauma and more. Her best friend is senselessly murdered when she‘s 16, in a place (not Derry) that she‘d just begun to think of as “safe.” She battles alcoholism, depression, and suicidal ideation, as well as physical illness. She struggles to escape abusive relationships with others and with herself. (edited) 2w

monalyisha 2/6: Though she finds sanctuary in nature (especially in the water, as well as through a connection with winged things), this isn‘t an easy book. The story the words tell isn‘t an easy one. Neither are the words themselves easy; oftentimes, sentences are fractured, mirroring the brokenness inside. (edited) 2w

monalyisha 3/6: The teller is also unabashedly in love with certain ideas — liminal spaces, in particular (see: title) — and I think the voice of those ideas sometimes overshadows her own, unique voice. (edited) 2w

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monalyisha 4/6: I wish there had been more structure, too - that each chapter had been more like a separate essay. It almost feels as though each page is written like it‘s the end of the book, like the language is coming together and everything is wrapping up, continually. But then…it doesn‘t. It keeps going. Her deep consciousness of language sometimes reads as affected; when it doesn‘t, it dips, soars, and sparkles. (edited) 2w

monalyisha 5/6: I struggled as a reader at times. But on some level, that feels sort-of right. I‘m glad that the author has come to a place where she‘s so herself and is no longer afraid if her story makes other people feel unsettled. Even if I was unsure about the particulars of the telling, I was never uninterested or unbothered. (edited) 2w

monalyisha 6/6: I would read more by Kerri ni Dochartaigh - with the foreknowledge that I‘d need to be comfortable with moving through her words slowly and with patient attention. It‘s almost as if she has become so sick of boundaries that her words and her work have none of the typical ones I‘ve come to expect. And that‘s not wrong. It‘s just not easy. (edited) 2w

Amiable Wonderfully comprehensive review! 2w

TrishB Fantastic review ♥️ 2w

rockpools A beautiful review of a beautiful book! 2w

monalyisha Thanks, @rockpools! I was glad to have your review, too, to knock my feelings up against. 💙 2w

monalyisha Thanks @Amiable & @TrishB! Like reading it, wrapping my head around how I felt about it and then getting those thoughts down in writing was a bit of a challenge. I appreciate your comments! 2w

Amiable @monalyisha Was just reading this article in the Washington Post and thought of you —have you seen it ? https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/18/school-librarians-jailed-ban... 2w

Cinfhen Beautiful and thoughtful review. Thanks for sharing 💜 1w

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monalyisha

Thin Places | Kerri ni Dochartaigh

Goals ✨🔥✨

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monalyisha

Unraveling: What I Learned about Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater | Peggy Orenstein

Today I learned that the witchy “eye of newt” isn‘t an amphibious ingredient at all; it‘s just a nickname for mustard seed!

🤯🔮🌼

I‘ve shared this piece of trivia far & wide. The only person who‘d encountered the factoid before was a college friend who works for the Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. (which I suspected might be the case).

Karisa 🤯 2w

mcipher What?!?? Mind blown 🤯 2w

IndoorDame 🤣🤣🤣sneaky witches 2w

Clare-Dragonfly I‘m a witch and Shakespeare fan and I‘d heard that before 😁 2w

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monalyisha

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London | GARTH. NIX

so-so

I picked this up because the premise sounded, to me, like Buffy with booksellers (basically, booksellers patrol the Hellmouth). The fantasy focus in this was more fey than demonic (which isn‘t typically my jam). Points added for the obvious Ursula K. Le Guin homage. Points detracted for the author‘s weird obsession with the tv show The Professionals, & for falling into that fantasy-genre trap of too much plot/fighting, too little character/dialog.

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monalyisha

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London | GARTH. NIX

•I got my hair cut & I deleted the rest of my social media, so you all get the obligatory selfie. 😜

•I‘m peacefully reading this morning before heading to a cafe & a nature walk with my mother-in-law. Then, back home (an hour‘s drive) to see my mom. 🌸

•I‘m on Chapter 6 of the tagged.

•I learned about a rug-tufting workshop in an ice cream shop at the end of May. I don‘t know who I‘ll be dragging with me but you better believe I‘m going!

Tamra Cute cut! I would go with you to the workshop! 😄 (edited) 3w

monalyisha @Tamra Thank you! I think you‘d be doubly impressed if you could see the ice cream. The shop is called Helado Taiyaki. It‘s described as “a Latin twist on a Japanese dessert” and it all comes in the most adorable fish-shaped cones! I‘m so charmed. 3w

TheKidUpstairs Great cut! 3w

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Gissy It looks fantastic 👌It is good to change the image, is like a refresh in life😌🙌 3w

marleed It looks great, and I‘m thrilled Littens get your selfie! 2w

dabbe Looking 🤩🤩🤩! 2w

monalyisha Thanks @TheKidUpstairs @Gissy @marleed & @dabbe! 😊 2w

IndianBookworm Definitely a good day then? Also, you look beautiful! 😍 2w

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monalyisha

Happy Place | Emily Henry

pick

As usual, the witty banter in Emily Henry‘s newest romance is ON POINT. This is fortunate, for balance‘s sake, because this one was a weepy — and I wasn‘t expecting it! (Trigger warning: death of a parent.)

My biggest complaint is that many (not all) of the conflicts felt fabricated and avoidable. And I can‘t think of a sexy “furniture designer” love interest without thinking of SaTC‘s Aidan Shaw; Henry had to‘ve known that about her audience!

Bookzombie Even before I finished reading your sentence, I thought of Aidan. 3w

monalyisha @Bookzombie EXACTLY. 3w

Megabooks Yup! He‘s the prototype for sexy furniture designer! 3w

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monalyisha

The Wednesdays | Julie Bourbeau

1. We‘re watching YellowJackets & Ted Lasso. We‘ve also been watching The Simpsons (my first time through!) & are on season 13.

2. Fogland Beach in Tiverton, RI. It‘s always quiet, has beautiful beach roses, and it‘s a drive through gorgeous rural farmland to get there - 30 minutes from my house with a homemade ice cream shop & a seafood shack on the way.

3. Scrabble, of course!

#WondrousWednesday

Eggs

Eggs #2 sounds wonderful 🏝️ And of course Scrabble 💙💙 3w

Sharpeipup ❤️ Ted Lasso!
Adding Fogland Beach to my list. 3w

monalyisha @Sharpeipup It‘s often used by windsurfers. It‘s got a bit of a breeze - but with summers getting hotter & hotter, I‘m here for it. I have beaches much closer to me but I always make the drive. 3w

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AmyG Yellowjackets is up next for me. 3w

monalyisha @AmyG I‘ve got so many theories about what‘s going on! 🤐 And the soundtrack is killer. 3w

AmyG Oooo now I am excited for the soundtrack! 3w

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monalyisha

Chrysalis | Anna Metcalfe

pick

A young girl suffering from an undiagnosed condition that causes full body tremors grows into the type of adult who can inspire full body tremors. I felt for her at times, given the abuse that she experienced…but what we witness as readers is her transition into a cult leader. She becomes a social media sensation based on a unique blend of meditation & performance art, then encourages her followers to cut ties from family, friends & community.👇🏻

monalyisha 1/4: I found the story engaging. Every time I put it down, I was eager to return to it…which is saying something because I‘m not typically one for unlikeable characters (and, with the exception of Bella, there are disturbing and desperate personalities here in spades). I think it was missing something, though. (edited) 3w

monalyisha 2/4: When I read Amanda Montell‘s Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, what I found most interesting was her investigation into *why* people join cultish groups. She explains that it‘s not necessarily trauma, gullibility, or foolishness that makes people vulnerable; oftentimes, it‘s optimism, big dreams, & the desire for radical change. (edited) 3w

monalyisha 3/4: I think Chrysalis would have been enriched if we‘d heard more from a character like this - & it would have been just as (if not more!) disturbing to see someone well-adjusted become enthralled. We only encounter those who knew her through different stages of her metamorphosis - not anyone who begins following her after (& only through a screen).

I also think it‘s interesting that we never hear directly from the nameless woman at its center. (edited) 3w

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monalyisha 4/4: The blurb for this novel claims that it “asks if it is possible for a woman to have agency over her own body while remaining a part of society, and then gives its own explosive answer” — but I don‘t think that‘s what it‘s about. It *is* about solitude, isolation, & community - & the role that technology plays in it all. It‘s about desperation, longing, mental health, & the profound failure of modern medicine (& really, all of our systems). (edited) 3w

monalyisha This was a #CampLitsy longlist title. @Megabooks I‘m done reading if you want to chat! 3w

Deblovestoread Great review! I picked this up Saturday and hope to get to it soon. 3w

Megabooks Chef‘s kiss on the insights here!! I have to run out of town for the afternoon, but I‘ll reply when I get back this evening!! 3w

monalyisha @Megabooks Looking forward to it! Hope you enjoy your day. 3w

BarbaraBB Such a thoughtful review. I can‘t wait to read it too. 3w

JamieArc I‘m about halfway through Bella‘s part! And thinking a lot about it too when I‘m not reading it. 3w

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monalyisha

The Marriage Plot: A Novel | Jeffrey Eugenides

Life News! ✨📣

Today, I found out I was accepted into a certification program to become a Life-Cycle Celebrant.

In addition to my Religious Studies degree, this means I‘ll be extra, super, WAY overqualified to marry people in 2024. 😅🥳

This is a photo of my youngest brother and sister-in-law sharing their first kiss on their wedding day. I‘m officiating in the background.

Smrloomis Aww you all look so happy and lovely 🥳🥳🥳 4w

JamieArc Congratulations 🎉🍾 4w

monalyisha Thanks @Smrloomis & @JamieArc 🙌🏻! 4w

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Cupcake12 Wow! That‘s amazing news ❤️ 4w

IuliaC Wow! This is fantastic, congratulations! 4w

monalyisha Thanks @Cupcake12 & @IuliaC 💫! 4w

rabbitprincess Awesome news! Also that is an extremely cute dress you have! Love the print ❤️ 4w

IndianBookworm Such a beautiful picture! Everything about this picture makes me feel so fuzzy and wholesome. Also, congratulations to you. 💝 4w

Saknicole Congrats! 4w

CarolynM Congratulations! And that‘s a great photo - it looks like a beautiful wedding. 4w

monalyisha Thanks @rabbitprincess @IndianBookworm @Saknicole @CarolynM! My husband‘s a photographer & he took the photo. It‘s helpful when you know a guy. 😉 4w

IndianBookworm @monalyisha And he's a photographer!😁 3w

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monalyisha

Little Weirds | Jenny Slate

Saw this meme the other day and I keep remembering it and quietly giggling.

LoverOfLearning Haha! Love it 4w

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monalyisha

The Wednesdays | Julie Bourbeau

1. My favorite teacher in high school called me a “quiet leader.” My two favorite literature professors in college argued vehemently over who “discovered” me. My ex once told me that my eyes “look like Australia.” And early in our courtship, my husband said that getting an email from me was like “waking up on Christmas morning and finding a jet pack under the tree.”
2. I wish I could dance like @ thomastaps or @ pamelamelaela. Find them on Insta!

Eggs

monalyisha @Eggs Do you come up with the questions for #WondrousWednesday on your own or cultivate them from online resources? Either way, they‘re great! Pictured are: my brand-new nephew, a local shop flying a smiley face flag (which always reminds me of my hometown, purportedly where the smiley face was “invented”), my favorite tree at work with its first blooms of the season, & my stinkin‘ adorable little niece (playing dress-up). (edited) 1mo

Chelsea.Poole amazing compliments 😍 I can see why your husband became your husband. AND sweet photos! 1mo

monalyisha @Chelsea.Poole Thanks! I wish you could‘ve seen the little dance he was doing (apropos of nothing) while I read your comment. Wednesdays are my late night at work, so we get to spend peaceful mornings together. It‘s a much-needed breath, halfway through the week! 1mo

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IndianBookworm The compliments are sooo wholesome, I can't imagine how sweet you must be! Also, your nephew is super cute!😍 1mo

Eggs @monalyisha Most of the time I pull them out of my a$$ to see if others see/feel things as I do; or just to view a variety of thoughts, preferences, and book/movie recs. But I do search for unique questions for inspiration. Love your photos💞💞Sweet babes💗 1mo

peaknit Those are done fabulous compliments! 1mo

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monalyisha

True Biz: From the author of the Women�s Prize longlisted GIRL AT WAR | Sara Novic

“True Biz?” There‘s no way I can pick a winner between my March & April selections right now. That‘ll have to wait. 🙈 But I did fill the grid in a *little* more! Step by step.

#2023ReadingBracket @chasjjlee

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monalyisha

True Biz: From the author of the Women�s Prize longlisted GIRL AT WAR | Sara Novic

pick

WOW! This powerful book is set largely at a boarding school for the deaf & centers around a girl who finds access to language (ASL) & community for the first time in any meaningful way. The author is an instructor of Deaf Studies & part of the deaf community. The characters are brilliantly written & complicated ethics are plumbed in an authentic way. I understand that some readers may be mad about the ambiguous ending…but it feels authentic, too.

monalyisha 1/2: What‘s missing from the above review, due to character limitation, is A LOT more gushing. 🤩😍 I truly loved this novel & look forward to checking out Novic‘s other work. It‘s also missing mention of the book‘s unique form (inclusion of ASL signs & diagrams), & how Novic says that being a member of the deaf community has made her a better writer. I can see, immediately, how that could be the case. 👇🏻 (edited) 1mo

monalyisha 2/2: To be fluent in ASL is to think *so deeply* about what is being said, how it‘s being said, & what‘s not being said. Those skills are obviously so directly transferable! The little I learned about the language hinted at such richness. I also didn‘t mention the portrayal of the punk rock scene, the discussion about bodily autonomy, or intersectional deafness and the inclusion of BASL (Black American Sign Language). I‘m in awe. (edited) 1mo

marleed I loved this book and learned so much. I was so disappointed when my IRL bookclub didn‘t pick my selection of this as a 2023 discussion. 1mo

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monalyisha @marleed It was actually my pick for my IRL Book Club (not to rub it in!); our meeting is tomorrow night. 1mo

sarahbarnes Great review! I was really blown away by this one, too. 1mo

marleed @monalyisha I want to be in your bookclub! 1mo

monalyisha @marleed It‘s a pretty good one! We‘ve been meeting via videochat since 2012. It‘s with friends from college who are now scattered across the country. 1mo

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monalyisha

Scorched Grace: A Sister Holiday Mystery | Margot Douaihy

Mysteries aren‘t typically my thing & I noticed that @TheKidUpstairs wasn‘t a fan of this one, which doesn‘t bode well…but I just learned about the book‘s existence and can‘t help but feel excited! A punk rock nun? OKAY!

@JamieArc Had you heard of it? Seems like something we should both make note of!

📸: Hayley Rabe, PangoBooks

TheKidUpstairs I hope it works better for you than it did for me! 1mo

monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs I‘ll be sure to borrow it instead of buying it. 😉 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I am hearing such mixed things, but I have it on hold at the library. Going to read it. The concept sounds so good. 1mo

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monalyisha @ChaoticMissAdventures Crossing fingers for you & me both! Do you typically read mysteries? I feel like the fact that I don‘t *might* work in my favor. 1mo

JamieArc Yes. It definitely caught my eye between the cover and the premise. But then I think I saw a few less-than-stellar reviews and held off. I think @mitch was one. I often like books others don‘t though, so still thinking about it. Definitely tag me if you review it! 1mo

JamieArc But looking again, @mitch gave it a pick! 1mo

marleed I liked this. There is a mystery here but really I thought it was more about the characters. 1mo

monalyisha @marleed That‘s exactly how I prefer my mysteries. 💯 1mo

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monalyisha

Bloodtide: A New Holiday in Homage to Horseshoe Crabs | Eli Nixon

Independent Bookstore Day purchases! 1 novel (used) & 3 nonfic titles (brand-spankin‘-new).

The strangest one is tagged. 🩸🌊🐴🩴🦀
Tags for the remaining books are in the comments.

Also, can we talk about how good this picture smells? All praise the rain-soaked lilacs!

monalyisha

Woolgathering

1mo

monalyisha

RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR

1mo

monalyisha

The Life of God (as Told by Himself)

1mo

55 likes3 comments

monalyisha

I Have Some Questions for You | Rebecca Makkai

After a lengthy period of deliberation, I placed my vote for #CampLitsy23. I wasn‘t sure I would…but I ended up voting mostly for the titles I nominated myself. It shouldn‘t have surprised me; I researched my picks pretty thoroughly.

I did add the tagged, however! And I‘ve got about 30 new titles for my TBR. 🤩 I even pre-ordered the audiobook for a new-to-me memoir: Everybody Come Alive by Marcie Alvis Walker.

Thanks for your fab nominations!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

monalyisha

Everybody Come Alive: A Memoir in Essays

1mo

BarbaraBB Thanks for voting! We‘ll share the winners tomorrow! 1mo

monalyisha @BarbaraBB Exciting times! I don‘t actually expect most of the titles I voted for to win but…if that isn‘t voting, am I right? 😅 #BernieForever 😭 Still, waiting to find out which books will win is a far purer, less anxious, and more hopeful experience than participating in politics. 😉 1mo

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squirrelbrain Thanks for your votes - I‘ve just added them to the spreadsheet….the top 6 books have been swapping and changing a LOT, more than we expected I think. At least there‘s no losers in this vote - we all win bigger TBR lists! 🤣 1mo

monalyisha @squirrelbrain *Exactly!* 1mo

Chelsea.Poole I‘m with you #feelthebern 😢 1mo

50 likes6 comments

monalyisha

Riffraff | Providence, RI (Bookstore)

Drunk bathroom selfie after a day of book-buying and book-barring! 🍻

AmyG So cute! 🙌🏻❤️ 1mo

kspenmoll What fun! You look like you thoroughly enjoyed your day! 1mo

Sparklemn Sounds like my dream day! 1mo

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marleed Oh how fun! I hope you made a pile of fun drunk purchases! 1mo

monalyisha @marleed Yes! 4 books in total: 1 novel & 3 nonfic picks. I‘ll post my happy little stack tomorrow. 🤗 The bulk of the spending was definitely alcohol-related, though. Cider, and chai, and cold brew, and beer, and some sort of crazy liquor made from artichokes?! No regrets. YET. 😂🙈 1mo

TheBookHippie 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😍 1mo

Aims42 LOL! Sounds like a fun Saturday!! 👍 1mo

monalyisha @marleed Regrets have hit. 😆 Oh, how I miss the invincible drinking stamina of my 20‘s and early 30‘s. 1mo

marleed @monalyisha oh no. I have some wine left over from book club I hosted last week. I remembered it was in my fridge last night. Not wanting to waste it, I had a glass. I could feel it - just one glass! Then there was just a wee bit left and geez, can‘t waste that. I had to support myself on my railing to climb the stairs to my bedroom. Good thing I have a long-held strict self imposed no driving with even a sip of alcohol rule! 1mo

Suet624 What fun!! 1mo

BarbaraBB Love it 🥰 Hope the morning after will soon feel better! 1mo

monalyisha @BarbaraBB Thanks for the wishes! Feelin‘ just fine. Phew! 😉 1mo

Meshell1313 Prof that books = happiness! Enjoy! 1mo

81 likes13 comments

monalyisha

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore: A Novel | Matthew Sullivan

Whipped feta & roasted curry carrots with chimichurri sauce at our local bookstore + snackery. Yes, that‘s a thing. And yes, I love our little town. 🧡

Mollyanna How great is that?!? I‘m jealous. 1mo

Tamra What a day! 1mo

monalyisha Here‘s the link to the store (which isn‘t a destination on Litsy): https://www.archivebooksnackery.com 1mo

See All 6 Comments

TheKidUpstairs I don't think I'd ever want to leave! 1mo

Cathythoughts That looks divine 👌🏻 1mo

5feet.of.fury Omg sounds delishhhh 1mo

73 likes6 comments

monalyisha

I Wandered Far ... | Dorothy Boicourt

Making some difficult fiscal decisions this Independent Bookstore Day. Essential? My Chai Espresso Martini. Inessential? This book of poems, sadly. But it had a great title and intriguing font choices!

62 likes

monalyisha

Forager: Field Notes on Survival: a Memoir | Michelle Dowd

I think I‘m finally ready to commit to my #CampLitsy23 nominees!

I went with 3 memoirs and 3 novels, all tagged in the comments. Some common themes seem to be: nature, religion, siblings, queer voices.

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

monalyisha

Forager: Field Notes on Survival: a Memoir

1mo

monalyisha

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir

1mo

monalyisha

Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller

1mo

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monalyisha

The Last Animal: A Novel

1mo

monalyisha

Brother & Sister Enter the Forest: A Novel

1mo

monalyisha

Carmen and Grace: A Novel

1mo

Megabooks Thanks for nominating! I loved Butch Hijab Blues! 1mo

BarbaraBB There you are! Thanks! Great choices, one of mine too

Brother & Sister Enter the Forest: A Novel

1mo

monalyisha @BarbaraBB Here I am! If Brother & Sister…gets picked, we can cry together. 😅 Have you outlined the next steps of the process somewhere? I‘m so interested in how it‘ll all work! 1mo

squirrelbrain Thanks for your nominations! We‘ll be posting the (very!) long list tomorrow - Barbara will tag you. You then have chance to look at all the nominations and vote for your favourite 6 before Sunday. We‘ll announce the winners early next week along with which books we‘ll read when. (edited) 1mo

Chelsea.Poole Oh I love your picks! I am going to read The Last Animal, Hijab Butch Blues, and Forager for sure! 1mo

monalyisha @Chelsea.Poole I think we have very similar taste. I‘ve learned to pay attention to your reviews and specifically seek out your page because I always love your #AuldLangSpine list! 1mo

Chelsea.Poole @monalyisha same ☺️ 1mo

55 likes13 comments

monalyisha

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. | Judy Blume

pick

I loved reading when I was growing up…but there was no one steering the ship. There were no big readers in my family, no friends I swapped books with. The titles I read, therefore, were those I stumbled upon at my local discount store. Judy Blume‘s classic YA novel wasn‘t one I encountered. So, I was excited to read it, in advance of the movie, for my Young at Heart Book Club for adults (which I host at the library where I work). 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/2: This excitement was colored by the fact that I knew it had a place on Time‘s list of 100 best novels (published between 1923 & 2010). One of my favorite parts of the reading experience was thinking about the cultural differences between the era when it was written (1970) & today. The characters are realistically drawn, & I think Blume did right in not providing any solid conclusions. Adolescence is a time of questioning — not of answers. (edited) 1mo

monalyisha 2/2: I can see why the book was so impactful (and controversial) at the time of publication. I‘m interested to see what today‘s youth makes of it. And I‘d gladly read adaptations from the POV of other characters! I‘d be most invested in hearing from Barbara Simon, Margaret‘s mother, who leaves her religious upbringing behind, seeks nature, and paints still-lifes (for which she is quietly — and sometimes not so quietly — ridiculed by her family). 1mo

Sapphire I loved all Judy Blume books growing up. I do wonder what i would think today. I might see the film adaptation 1mo

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Aimeesue I remember that cover vividly. 1mo

SamAnne All the feels. 1mo

Suet624 I‘ve never read even one of hers. 😳 1mo

monalyisha @Suet624 I honestly don‘t know if I had previously but I feel like I must have? Maybe Freckle Juice or Superfudge or Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing? I feel like one of my teachers read one aloud to us at some point. 1mo

mysticalmama I read this when I was a kid! Loved this book. And I just got it for my daughter at BJs. I‘m excited to read it with her. 1mo

sarahbarnes Yours is also a perfect description of my young reading life. 1mo

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monalyisha

Thin Places | Kerri ni Dochartaigh

I got this nifty reading accessory from my local Buy Nothing group. The gifter acquired it while living in Oman. I think it‘s meant to hold the Qur'an. I‘m not sure how often I will truly end up using it, since it doesn‘t hold your book *open* but I love it all the same.

Top right: Moxie eating second breakfast, embracing her true hobbit nature.

Sapphire It‘s beautiful! 1mo

78 likes1 comment

monalyisha

No Time Like The Past | Jodi Taylor

pick

The Chronicles of St. Mary‘s may be the coziest series I read. It‘s also the only good reason I still have Audible. Narrated by Zara Ramm, it‘s about a group of eccentric historians who visit contentious events in the past to discover the truth of them. This 5th installment covers A LOT of ground (from Renaissance Florence to the Battle of Thermopylae) & includes some hugely important, life-changing personal events for the characters, as well.

monalyisha @JamieArc Have you read these before? They‘re so fun (and often pack an emotional punch, as well — with some romance, to boot!). The first is tagged.

Just One Damned Thing After Another

1mo

DGRachel Zara Ramm is a treasure! 1mo

monalyisha @DGRachel Have you listened to other books narrated by her you‘ve loved? I‘d gladly take a rec or two! 1mo

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JamieArc @monalyisha I have not, but just stacked the first one as well. They sound great! 1mo

monalyisha @JamieArc Excited for you to discover! I added the book you tagged me in recently to my TBR stack, too. If I nominate anything for #CampLitsy23, it will most certainly be on my list.

When in Rome: A Novel

1mo

Lucy_Anywhere This is one of my favourite series! Her spin off series about the Time Police is also good fun 😀 1mo

Sapphire I love a good series when the narrator is excellent. Which one should I start with? 1mo

monalyisha @Sapphire Glad to hear it! Feel free to tag me in your review, if you remember. I‘d love to read what you think. Start with

Just One Damned Thing After Another

1mo

Sapphire @monalyisha thanks! Will do. 1mo

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monalyisha

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. | Judy Blume

In a Friday afternoon heaven.

Prairiegirl_reading It snowed here this morning 😞 I‘m so jealous of the sunshine!!! 1mo

monalyisha @Prairiegirl_reading OH. NO. Where is “here”? 1mo

Prairiegirl_reading Winnipeg, Canada 1mo

CoffeeAndABook I love everything about this picture 🤩🍻 1mo

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monalyisha

Thin Places | Kerri ni Dochartaigh

Enjoying a slow, soft morning.

IndoorDame 😍🐇 1mo

UwannaPublishme Awww! 🐰 1mo

dabbe Da cutest little bunny! 💙🐰💙 1mo

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rabbitprincess 🥰😻🐰 1mo

Clare-Dragonfly 😍🐰 1mo

ShelleyBooksie Bunny ♡♡♡: 1mo

81 likes6 comments

monalyisha

Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age | Katherine May

“Neck deep in saltwater, I become part of a place.”
-Katherine May (newsletter, April 2023)

This was the last time my bare skin touched my home saltwater. It was November. It‘s almost time to submerge once again!

paper.reveries Where are you from that you can wear clamdiggers in NOVEMBER!! 😍😍 1mo

monalyisha @daisyheadmaesie Those are just VERY tight jeans, hiked up VERY effortfully. 😅 It was an unseasonably warm day in Rhode Island. 1mo

paper.reveries @monalyisha Man oh man, lucky you!! 1mo

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Gabbymags123 I‘m chepachet where r you ?! 1mo

monalyisha @Gabbymags123 We‘re in Warren! We‘ve been here since the summer of 2020. Five years in Providence before that. My husband is from Portsmouth. I‘m originally from Worcester (MA). 1mo

dabbe What a cool pic! 💙🤗💙 1mo

72 likes6 comments

monalyisha

Wednesday's Child | Amanda Hewett

1. Study abroad! Who knows when the chance will present itself again? You‘re still waiting…
Join the Wilderness Club! And (of course): let him go.
2. Literally any way I can. I‘ve been too few places (see: no. 1). I love adventuring and have no transportation-related fears.
3. Anyone who will listen! 😅 There is no air of mystery about me. I just need to talk things through, okay?

#WondrousWednesday

Eggs

Eggs 😂❤️👏🏻Joie de vivre!! 1mo

39 likes1 comment

monalyisha

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird | Josie Silver

pick

It‘s admirable that this book is completely different from the last of Silver‘s I read. One Night on the Island endeared itself to me with its distinct sense of place; in The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, it‘s the characters that do it — the sense of family (both biological & found). This ability to write multi-dimensionally speaks to her talent. A word of warning: don‘t read this book without a full box of tissues. Be prepared to launder your hanky!

monalyisha Note: I‘ve read several reviews which make the complaint that the plot doesn‘t move. While I can see being frustrated, given that the story‘s about grief, I think “feeling stuck” is a bit of the point. I think it would feel wrong if things *did* move quickly! I‘m always interested when authors do stagnation well — because it IS counter to the natural forward momentum of a narrative. I think Silver manages it handily. 1mo

Deblovestoread This still sits on my shelf. Your review is moving it up. Thank you. 1mo

monalyisha @Deblovestoread You‘re welcome — maybe! I don‘t think I can accept the thanks until I know you‘ve read & enjoyed it. 😅 I think Josie Silver is a distinct flavor; she might not be for everyone (but she‘s definitely for me)! It‘s funny…when I read her last one, I was reminded of an episode of Sex & the City. In this one (which came first), she mentions the show by name. I think it‘s easy to spot the influence! Fans of one might like the other. 1mo

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monalyisha

Community Board | Tara Conklin

so-so

I was so excited to finish my last nonfiction book so I could jump in and start this novel, which waited tantalizingly for me on my shelf. As soon as I started, though, I knew it might not be for me. More times than not, Darcy felt like a bad Millennial stereotype. As a Millennial myself, I took offense (which we‘re known to do 😅). In fact, none of the characters felt *real.* 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/1: Still, I liked the way everything came together (the Mushroom Festival, the “tulip lady”, the drone). And I found Conklin‘s wry observations amusing. It just felt like the story and the writing were more suited to a quirky, heartwarming comedy film, a la Garden State, than a novel. 1mo

RamsFan1963 I almost bought this at the bookstore today, but I was pretty sure I couldn't relate to the MC, being a Boomer myself. 1mo

monalyisha @RamsFan1963 Probably a good call! 1mo

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JamieArc Okay, but I can‘t bypass a book with a mushroom festival, so I‘ll certainly be reading this 😂 1mo

monalyisha @JamieArc Ha! I‘d love to read your thoughts on it. It‘s possible I was just in a ~mood.~ 1mo

britt_brooke Fair review! I‘m reading this now. 1mo

monalyisha @britt_brooke How are you enjoying it? Feel free to tag me in your review when you‘re done! 1mo

britt_brooke @monalyisha About 1/3 in and it‘s entertaining enough. We‘ll see how the rest goes. I‘ll tag ya! 1mo

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monalyisha

Community Board | Tara Conklin

“Don‘t get discouraged, Darcy. Just keep on trucking.”

“Trucking? Is that really the verb that best describes the act of moving through your days, trying to find meaning and connection with the world around you?”

DrexEdit Maybe it's meant to be a post-1970s ironic use of that phrase? 1mo

53 likes1 comment

monalyisha

Community Board | Tara Conklin

“It‘s like Christmas morning when spring arrives, but without the financial ruin of buying all the presents.”

📸: by Wicked Tulips
(this is my local tulip farm, if you can believe it!)

kspenmoll Stunning! 1mo

JenReadsAlot Beautiful! 1mo

Cathythoughts Love tulips 🌷 😍 1mo

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Bookzombie Gorgeous! 1mo

Sharpeipup How lovely! 1mo

dabbe Holy Batman! Look at the sky, too! They're both in sync! 💜💜💜 1mo

Cinfhen OMG! STUNNING 1mo

CarolynM 😍 1mo

72 likes8 comments

monalyisha

Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage | Rachel E. Gross

It feels important to catalog the ONLY note I took while reading (not that the shocks didn‘t keep on coming)!

BUT REALLY.
Tell your friends.

Bookwormjillk Not even the ducks? 2mo

monalyisha @Bookwormjillk The ducks thank you for your service. 🦆 2mo

dabbe @Bookwormjillk 🤣🤣🤣 2mo

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Soubhiville This was a great book! I loved hearing about the ducks. 2mo

ravenlee The ducks say, “Mind your own ducking business.” 2mo

Graves SPOILER ALERT!!!! SHEESH 2mo

monalyisha @Graves 😂💀😂 2mo

Meshell1313 🤣🤣🦆 2mo

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monalyisha

Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage | Rachel E. Gross

pick

I finally finished my March book club selection…two weeks too late. 😅 Like many of my nonfiction reads, “this book is about different ways of looking.” As Gross reminds us, “You can‘t see what you aren‘t looking for.” It just so happens to also be about vaginas — and everything we *don‘t* know about them. A blurb on the dust jacket flap calls Gross‘s writing “lyrical.” With that in mind, I‘d like to draw your attention to the following sentence:

monalyisha 1/1: “Like eating a Reese‘s Cup, there‘s no wrong way to have a vagina.” Listen, I WAS looking for lyrical — and I did not find it. However, what I did find was informative, inquisitive, and open. This isn‘t the first book I‘ve read about vaginas (that particular distinction belongs to Vaginas: An Owner‘s Manual by Livodi & Topp) but it was definitely the most intersectional, well-researched, and well-written. (edited) 2mo

78 likes4 stack adds1 comment

monalyisha

Saltus | Tara Gereaux

With some distance, I was finally able to fill this bracket graph in. So close to all of the wonderful January books I read, it felt impossible! Sometimes, we just need time. Excited to see what April will bring! And absolutely dreading when I‘ll have to make the choice between Saltus and Enchantment (as I‘m sure I will). Maybe I‘m being too optimistic in claiming that distance breeds perspective. 😅🙈

@chasjjlee

monalyisha #2023ReadingBracket 2mo

52 likes1 comment

monalyisha

Dandelion Wine | Ray D Bradbury

Got a new keychain. Thanks, Ray Bradbury!

46 likes

monalyisha

The Deep | Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes

pick

I‘ll be honest, I didn‘t love this novella...until I got to the afterward and the companion song by clipping. Then, I was left shouting about how cool this project is from the rooftops! It‘s SO COOL! Solomon‘s writing wasn‘t my favorite. I‘m not sure if their style was intentionally mimicking history/mythology (blunt, declarative statements; often repetitive) or if they write the same way all the time. But conceptually, it‘s *totally* worth it!

60 likes1 stack add

monalyisha

Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age | Katherine May

pick

How do I begin reviewing my most anticipated book of the year? Perhaps by saying that I wasn‘t disappointed. Since reading Wintering in 2020, I‘ve fully joined the cult of Katherine May. I‘ve read all of her other works, have listened to her podcast. I‘ve picked up books she‘s recommended; I follow her on Instagram, I subscribe to her newsletter. Thus, I went into this with high expectations but with a sense of reverence already in place. 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/11: If you‘re new to May‘s work, I would start with Wintering (which, admittedly, is still my favorite). Enchantment felt, for me, like continuing a conversation that we‘d already started. I don‘t know if that‘s particular to my situation or if others would feel a bit unmoored. I do know that a library patron told me she felt it was “dense.” I wouldn‘t use that word…but I can see where it might help to have some context before diving in. (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 2/11: The subtitle is important: “Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age.” The key to doing this vital and necessary thing, according to May, is to reconnect with your childhood capacity for play and to pay close attention — not in the least to the natural world. She separates her book into 4 elemental sections: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. And then she goes out into the world (in small ways, in the midst of a pandemic) and *pays attention.* (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 3/11: May notes that she‘s scientific, that she‘s not a believer in organized religion, that she grew up without ritual — but I think it‘s honest to note that she‘s not just asking “How do we find wonder?” but also, “How do we worship?” and “How do we pray?” Her answer is secular but it IS sacred. It‘s spiritual. Fortunately for her and for me, this dovetails perfectly with my interests. (edited) 2mo

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monalyisha 4/11: I‘m a lapsed Catholic. In undergrad, I majored in English Literature and Religious Studies (not out of any sense of devotion but out of curiosity and, yes (!), enchantment). I‘ve thought about (and discarded the notion of) being a high school Religion teacher, striving to make my students‘ experience of the topic more inclusive and more diverse than my own. I‘ve officiated several weddings. I‘ve thought about starting an officiant business. (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 5/11: I‘m thinking about joining a Unitarian Church (and then becoming a Unitarian minister). What I did become is a Children‘s Librarian. My closest childhood friends became leaders within the SCA (Student Conservationist Association); hikers of the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail; and nature photographers. Mary Oliver is my favorite poet. I live as near to the ocean as a poor Librarian can manage. (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 6/11: I am HERE for a conversation about recovering childlike play and wonder, and seeking an experience of the divine through nature. Holy shit am I here — with rocks in my pockets and salt licking my skin! (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 7/11: I found myself jotting all of my favorite and most treasured sentences and ideas from my undergraduate studies in the margins of this book, next to relevant passages: things like, “the truth is in the tension”, “always already”, and “the world is god‘s body.” I know that books can be windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors; Enchanted is definitely the last two for me. (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 8/11: I see myself reflected back at me AND I am transported. If May‘s point was that we are all interconnected, I certainly need no convincing. My thoughts and feelings and desires are intimately intertwined with the author‘s. (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 9/11: At one point, May encounters another person while visiting a new stone circle near her house. She writes, “She is trying not to watch me, but I can see that she is waiting her turn. Perhaps she is embarrassed as I am to be in need of a little time amid these new stones…I buckle on my sandals and nod to her as I pass, pretending that we are both walkers rather than pilgrims, pretending that we both don‘t crave.” (edited) 2mo

monalyisha 10/11: Katherine May, I‘m not pretending. Call me. …Or, don‘t. Phone calls make me anxious. 😅

I‘ll end with a final quote. She notes, “I was open to magic, and I found some, although not the magic I was looking for. That‘s what you find over and over again when you go looking: something else. An insight that surprises you. A connection you never would have made. A new perspective.” 2mo

monalyisha 11/11: While I whole-heartedly agree, and while this works as a guiding principal to use as we walk through life, much of May‘s work is *not* a new perspective for me. But it *IS* a connection. And I am grateful. 2mo

JamieArc I‘m noting to myself to come back to your post because I have so much to say. I‘m carrying this book with me, waiting to start it. Perhaps today should be the day! 2mo

monalyisha @JamieArc enjoy! I get having “so much to say.” I finished this days ago (maybe a whole week ago?), and reviewed it on Goodreads. I put off posting here because I knew I‘d have to break it down into chunks because of the character limit. 😅 I refused to gracefully condense. 2mo

SamAnne @monalyisha thank for you taking the time to write such a detailed and very personal review. I'm in a space to appreciate a book like Wintering. Stacked. 2mo

monalyisha @SamAnne “Thorough” and “personal” are definitely in my wheelhouse 😅! I hope you love Wintering. It‘s my most passionately recommended book of the last 5 years. 2mo

monalyisha Tagging Wintering for anyone who needs it! @SamAnne

Wintering: How to Survive When Life Is Frozen

2mo

TheAromaofBooks Such a lovely review!! It's amazing when a book not just touches a chord, but plays it as loud as a pipe organ!! 2mo

Augustdana Just finished this book last night and it felt like a warm hug. Necessary. I also agree, wintering is still my fav. 2mo

64 likes5 stack adds18 comments

monalyisha

Ghost | Jason Reynolds

pick

Castle Cranshaw, aka Ghost, learns to run when he & his mom wake in the middle of the night to escape their abusive household, Ghost‘s gun-toting, alcoholic father hot on their heels. It‘s the story of a lonely, angry kid finding purpose & community. I‘m so glad it exists. Between its pages, you can find some gorgeous, impactful passages, interweaving light & dark. But you can also find the phrase “fart licks.” This is a book written FOR kids.👇🏻

monalyisha 1/1: Maurice Sendak once said, “I don't write for children. I write & someone says it's for children.” That‘s not how Jason Reynolds writes. And thank goodness! He‘s doing important, valuable, necessary work. And he does it with style and grace. Selfishly, I desperately want to see what an adult novel of his would look like. The acknowledgements, which read, “May this book be breath”, tell me it would be beautiful. I want a book sans fart licks. (edited) 2mo

LibraryFairy OMG I loved this book! I‘m actually on an inner city track team and have been running track for years, so just wanted to let you know, fart licks are an actual type of speed workout. I‘ve run them, my track friends have run them, Olympians have probably run them. This book was probably one of the most accurate track books I‘ve ever read. Honestly, if the book didn‘t have fart licks, it wouldn‘t be a good track book. 2mo

monalyisha @LibraryFairy I did look them up after reading to confirm that they were real. Glad this book worked so well for you! It‘s so validating when you find something true to your experience. 2mo

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monalyisha

Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age | Katherine May

“I miss the sense of worship that comes when I get into the sea. I miss the feeling that I am entering a vast cathedral, and, rather than sitting in its dry pews, that I am merging with it. I miss how when I feel the pull of the tides, I am also feeling the pull of the whole world, of the moon and the sun; that I am part of a chain of interconnection that crosses galaxies.”

monalyisha Ever since reading Katherine May‘s last book (Wintering), I‘ve found myself entertaining the notion of cold water swimming as a way to tamp down my seasonal depression. I live in the Ocean State and I adore the water…but whenever someone finds out about my tenuous goal, they‘re shocked. I hate being cold. And they know it. “WHY?!”, they ask, totally perplexed. This is why. Thank you, as always, for putting my thoughts to language, KM. 3mo

Suet624 What a wonderful post. 3mo

JamieArc I HAVE FELT THE SAME WAY! I have been so intrigued and wanting to try cold water swimming, since reading both Wintering and Tsui‘s Why We Swim. Unfortunately I don‘t live near a good place to do this. We are leaving for vacation in two days and Enchantment is going with me. 3mo

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monalyisha @JamieArc I love that we read the same books and had the same response. Truly kindred! I gave Wintering to my stepmom, too, and she actually went! There‘s a group near her in NH that swims daily. The leader has been asking her to go again, and she‘s been telling them she‘s waiting for me. 🙈 I told her maybe April…which is coming up so soon! 3mo

JamieArc @monalyisha Please let me know if you go!!! Do you follow @Magpiegem ? She has posted recently on Litsy about her cold sea swims. I think you should give your mom an early Mother‘s Day gift and go! 😁🥶😆 3mo

monalyisha @JamieArc I do but I hadn‘t seen her post(s). Thanks for pointing them out. And hi, @Magpiegem 👋🏻🌊! 3mo

Magpiegem @monalyisha Hi! Yes you should definitely go! I swim throughout the year and it‘s fantastic! You feel like you can face anything after a midwinter swim! Although I must admit my favourite swims are late night full moon swims in summer when the sea is still and clear. I‘m looking forward to seeing a post from you about your first swim now 😁 (edited) 3mo

Magpiegem @JamieArc thank you for tagging me! Can I tempt you into the sea too 🏊‍♀️ 🥶💙 3mo

JamieArc @Magpiegem I am sorely tempted, but do not live near a body of water to do so. It‘s a bucket list item. I will get there one day! 3mo

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monalyisha

Joined January 2017