‘The Doll‘ 4 ⭐️
‘Norwegian Wood‘ 3 ⭐️
‘The One and Only Ivan‘ 4 ⭐️
‘Killers of the Flower Moon‘ 3 1/2 ⭐️
‘Whiskey Words and a Shovel‘ 2 ⭐️
‘Serving the Servant‘ 4 ⭐️

#AprilWrapUp #WrapUp

Use the shovel to bury this one. I‘m joking of course! I know it‘s an unpopular opinion, but this book of poetry wasn‘t for me — I found many of these poems to be condescending, repetitive and full of platitudes. That said, there were a few in there that elevated this review from a pan to so-so. 🤷🏻‍♀️

U.S. history, true crime, mystery and suspense all in one important, gut wrenching book. Why didn‘t I learn about any of this in school? My only issue is that it did feel a bit too drawn out. I think this *might* be that rare book that will work even better as a movie. I am excited that Scorsese & DiCaprio are in production with it — every U.S. citizen should know this story. #nonfiction #history #crime

I‘d encourage parents and teachers to check out this beautifully written children‘s book, inspired by a real gorilla that lived in a Tacoma, Washington shopping mall for 27 years. Although at times the story is very sad (gently but honestly dealing with the death, neglect and abuse of animals) it is a wonderful and ultimately triumphant tale of compassion and love for all creatures. #childrensliterature #awardwinning #newberrymedal

I liked some elements of this book a lot, but because it was so highly rated I expected...more. You can tell that Murakami is a gifted writer but also that it‘s an earlier work, not yet reaching the heights he‘s capable of. I‘d say it‘s a pick for Murakami fans.

It was a shock to realize that last week marked the 25th anniversary of Kurt Cobain‘s death. I drove past his childhood home (feeling too old to be doing something like that) and wondered how much sadness was for the loss of a person I never knew, how much for the loss of his music and how much for the loss of that time in my life.

In any case, here is a new book about Kurt, and a book recommended by Kurt. Think I‘ll read them both. #kurtcobain

Thirteen short, suspenseful stories dealing with failed love — many with a tragic, gothic feel. Fans of the Brontë sisters, Shirley Jackson, Flannery O‘Connor and of course Daphne du Maurier will most likely love it. I immediately had to read ‘The Happy Valley‘, ‘And His Letters Grew Colder‘ and ‘The Doll‘ again. #shortstories #literature #gothic

I found the perfect cozy reading nook in a possibly haunted hotel. I think Daphne du Maurier would approve.

‘Fox 8‘ 4 ⭐️
‘Barrel Fever‘ 4 ⭐️
‘Hope Never Dies‘ 2 1/2 ⭐️
‘Notes on a Nervous Planet‘ 4 ⭐️
‘The Remains of the Day‘ 5 ⭐️
‘The Book of Joy‘ 4 ⭐️

#MarchWrapUp #WrapUp

Great question! I‘ve read quite a few outstanding books so far, but I think my favorite has to be ‘A Gentleman in Moscow‘ with ‘The Remains of the Day‘ coming in as a close second.

#bestbooksofar2019 @megnews

A proper English butler, Mr Stevens, at one time achieved the highest ranks in his field, but at what cost? Over the course of a driving trip, Stevens reflects on his life and career as the reader discovers a man who completely sublimated human feeling to an unwavering standard of professional duty. Ishiguro is a masterful story teller who allows us to understand more than what we are told by our narrator. An incredibly moving novel.

We‘re finishing Sunday out like this.... 🐶📖❤️

Sunday morning book & breakfast. I think someone was doing a six hour reading challenge today? If it involves reading whatever strikes me throughout the day — I‘m in! Let hour one begin! 😊📚🍀

Happy St. Patrick‘s Day, Littens! 📚🍀📚🍀📚🍀

I love how relatable and open the author is about anxiety, life in the 21st century and his own personal experiences. The book is organized into insightful, bite sized chapters that are easy to read — even for a highly distracted person. #selfhelp #nonfiction

Unpopular opinion: for a guilty pleasure book, I‘m not getting much pleasure. It‘s a rock n‘ roll novel told completely in interview format. I feel like I‘d rather read a real interview with a band that I care about.

“Compassion is a feature of strength, not weakness.”

I‘ve now read everything Mr. Sedaris has to offer at least once. This is an early work of his short stories and essays. I think they‘re brilliant. Full disclosure, I‘ve always felt as if I could have been part of the Sedaris clan, a later in life, surprise baby no. 7, younger sister to David and Amy, etc. Anywho, if you‘re reading this, Mr. Sedaris, please stop and get back to work on your next book! P.S. I ❤️ you!

A fast read with a ridiculous premise and questionable characterizations...in a word, it‘s absurd. But fun. With that in mind, I wrote my review to the tune of ‘Escape‘ (the Piña Colada song):

“If you like Barack Obama, and suspense with a train
If you‘re re not into George Bush, if you think Trump is insane
If you like a bromance with Joe Biden, and some silly scrapes
I´m the book that you´ve looked for, check out me, and escape" ?

Fox 8 is a modern fable told from the perspective of an endearing fox. Without moralizing, this short story (in a small book) makes us think about our environment, politics, immigration and how we treat each other. Humorous and bittersweet, I recommend ‘Fox 8‘ in book format in order to see the lovely illustrations and more importantly, how the words are spelled. 🦊 ❤️

When they have every newish book you‘re interested in, just sitting there waiting for you.... I ❤️ my #library #LibraryLove

Do you love your library too?

My weekend acquisitions look like a nice mix to me — self improvement, nonfiction, humor, psychological thriller & historical fiction. (I think ‘Barrel Fever‘ is the only David Sedaris book I haven‘t read yet.) Things to look forward to! #BookHaul 📚🤗

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 4 ⭐️
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life 3 1/2 ⭐️
Their Eyes Were Watching God 4 ⭐️
Jane Steele 3 1/2 ⭐️
The Fire This Time 4 1/2 ⭐️
#FebruaryWrapUp #WrapUp

This wasn‘t a retelling of Jane Eyre so much as it was a slightly campy, loving, homage. Told in three sections from the perspective of our ‘killer‘ heroine, there are many moving parts, which all come together nicely in the end. It is a very entertaining and satisfying read. I would recommend this to fans of Bronte, historical fiction, crime, suspense and romance. #HistoricalFiction

Trying not to cry while reading in public — this book is powerful and it is painful. #BlackHistoryMonth #Essays

This is a beautifully written novel about a Southern black woman, Janie Crawford, living in Florida in the 1920‘s. During the course of her three marriages, Janie begins to find her own voice. Hurston uses culturally specific dialect while exploring themes of sexism, social class, love, freedom, and self autonomy in this literary classic. #BlackHistoryMonth #AfricanAmericanLiterature #WomensLiterature

Your Aunt Rachel here (probably how the author would describe me) may not be the target audience for these essays — and sure enough I found some of them too crude, snarky or dark humored — but somewhere around the ‘Happy Birthday‘ essay, Irby and her unflinching, brutally honest style grew on me and truly, I love her now. #BlackHistoryMonth

A good explanation of HeLa cells and in-depth family biography make for an interesting read. While showing multi-generational effects of racism, poverty and the (horrifying!) history of non consensual use of black people in medical experimentation, Skloot reminds us that although we all rely on scientific discovery, a human being is behind every tissue sample. #BlackHistoryMonth

A Gentleman in Moscow 5 ⭐️
The Enchanted 4 1/2⭐️
Becoming 5 ⭐️
My Ántonia 4 ⭐️
Milk and Honey 3 ⭐️
Exit West 3 1/2 ⭐️

#JanuaryWrapUp #WrapUp

I picked this up in a used bookstore today and I‘m really enjoying it so far. Someone on here said it reminded them of The Nix, which would be great since I loved that book!

I have read a few of his later books so it‘s fun to see where it all started for Jo Nesbø and his Oslo Crime Inspector, Harry. BTW, if you‘ve never googled Jo Nesbø —he‘s a father, rock climber, bestselling author of crime thrillers and children‘s books, is lead vocal and guitar in a rock band, a former economist and reporter. Oh, he‘s also handsome as a movie star. ?

This was my book club read for January. Everyone liked it, though not everyone loved the use of magical realism. It did prompt a good discussion about refugees that touched on empathy, family, love and politics. I thought the author had some fantastic insights into human nature and there were some truly beautiful passages.

I wasn‘t going to buy this book but the library store had a new hardback copy for $2.00, so we‘ll see if it‘s worth the change in my purse that I scraped together for it. As a kindness to everyone I decided to block the hideous cover photo with the cute pup sticker.

Now that the memes are abundant, I have finally read this book of poetry. I‘m not sure what took me so long — it‘s a fast read. There are legitimate criticisms to be made of some of the less successful imagery and cliches but there are more than a few poems worth pondering. Over all it is an accessible introduction to poetry and feminism.

Willa Cather wrote this novel drawing from her memories of a young woman (Annie) that she knew while growing up on the prairies of Nebraska. In ‘My Ántonia‘, Cather uses details from her childhood but writes from the perspective of a man nostalgically recalling his past. I loved this look at pioneer life, the surprisingly independent women and one of the most romantic passages I‘ve ever read. Many consider this Cather‘s greatest work.

1. Buttermilk pancakes with bourbon glazed bananas and toasted pecans from The Allison Inn & Spa
2. The Fire This Time
3. Only 12 states...so far
4. Good ones! lol
5. No plans — maybe I should visit another state or two instead? :)

#HumpDayPost
@MinDea

Confession — I love finding things in thrift stores. This pretty hardback was in perfect condition (as were the vase and the shoes)! 🤗 #thenest #thriftstorefinds

Just when you think we can‘t possibly love her more, yes we can! 💗

1. Originally from Southern California
2. Rene Denfeld
3. 100+ books (I lost count)
4. A cozy bed
5. A Gentleman in Moscow

#littenintro @tessavi

I picked this up because I loved the title and beautiful black and gold cover art. It was not what I expected. Devastating, brutal and haunting stories emerge from the setting of a corrupt stone prison — and yet the writing is gorgeous, poetic, hopeful and supremely imaginative. Denfeld makes you feel the humanity of men on death row without minimizing the horrors of what they have done. I can‘t stop thinking about this book.

This is a new favorite of mine, taking a place alongside One Hundred Years of Solitude, Crime and Punishment, The Moonstone and The Little Prince. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think people are nervous about giving me books as gifts since they aren‘t sure what I already own — even I accidentally get myself duplicates. But one brave soul (careful listener?) gave me this for Christmas and it‘s perfect since I just recently discovered how much I love the writing of Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow). ❤️

Did you receive any books over the holidays?

Likely to be my last read of 2018 and so far it‘s wonderful! 🤗

Update: I got busy with the holidays & didn‘t finish until January 1st.

I‘m staying up way too late but what can I do? I‘ve fallen completely in love with Lindy West. Honestly, I don‘t find her shrill in the least— she‘s brilliant, hilarious, relatable and perfect. ❤️

Ultimately it was not very believable, but it‘s ok simply because it was a fast read that held my interest and had a twisty plot.

It‘s so easy to spend a gift card at Barnes & Noble. 📚🥳🎁 #happybirthdaytome #greenismyfavoritecolor

I used to say that I wasn‘t a short story fan (with the exception of Chekhov) but this year — after reading many excellent short stories by Shirley Jackson, the recent Lauren Groff book ‘Florida‘ and dipping into ‘Uncommon Type‘ by Tom Hanks, I had to rethink that opinion. I do believe that I am a short story fan after all! #readinglife #shortstories

This kind of day — filled with things I love 🐶🎄📚 #snickerdoodles #sleepingdog #christmastree #reading

Children raised in the harrowing grip of poverty, abuse, mental illness and religious zealotry makes for a painful and often frustrating read but Westover is a gifted writer and she bravely takes you on her journey out from underneath seemingly insurmountable odds. An excellent pick for fans of The Glass Castle or Hillbilly Elegy.

I was so excited to get my own copy of this book today! I‘ve already skipped ahead to the pictures — now on to the reading! 💕 #MichelleObama #WomanCrushWed #OprahBookClub