Welcome to Litsy!

Ohhhh this book hit me right where I needed it too. In fact, I think I'll be playing around with some of my favorite quotes and working them into some of my calligraphy pieces ❤️ Can't wait to read this author again.

I‘m slowly making my way through my Christmas present stack, and this one was timely: we just took my oldest back to school (two states away) last weekend.

I was so excited to see this book in my #jolabokaflodswap box! When I opened it I landed on the page called Anxiety Tax and I resonate with that so much. It was too much text to paste but it‘s worth zooming in. Also I love these chocolates! I actually have a Lindt mug and it‘s one of my favorites. Thank you so much @Branwen and Happy Reading!

I read 15 books in May, but I only managed to post three reviews. I haven‘t had the energy to write reviews or engage on Litsy as much as I would like to. Hopefully June is better.

The books in the top row were my favourites of the month. No five star or stand out reads though, unfortunately. #MayWrapUp #MayStats

Did you ever want to read every fleeting thought that goes through another person‘s head? Yeah, me neither. Bailing at 47% on the #audiobook. 👎🏻

Anxiety has a way of making you feel isolated, as though the way you feel is unknowable to anyone else. But, reading this book, there was so much familiar—his (and my) relationship to work, his (and my) tendency toward nostalgia and melancholy, his (and my) need to care for something else besides ourselves. And there were moments to breathe here, too. I‘m really glad I got to read this book.

Let‘s see if I can manage to read something for a change.

I loved this book. The collection of essays were great fun to listen to and felt like catching up with a friend, tbh. There were such great take aways and insights. I now really want to be a plant owner. So, I definitely recommend this one. I only wish I had read the book so that I could have seen all the illustrations! His voice was great but I think this is more of a visual book.

*Picture from the authors Instagram, which I totally recommend everyone follow!*
Somehow this book was available as audio on Libby even though it‘s just being released on 4/20? Unsure how that works but I absolutely adored this collection of essays. Reflections on anxiety, basing worth on productivity, family relationships, and sooo much about plants. This book made me feel so seen and so at peace regardless of all the complications and doubts 🌱

You have your entire life to worry about the rest of your life. Just get through today.

Many of my friends have fantasies of quitting their jobs and owning a farm, which is to say that most of my friends are city people who don‘t know anything about farms.

Quiet reflections on life, narrated by the author: a lovely #audiobook for those times when you feel a need to slow down. Jonny Sun is a Chinese Canadian who has worried a lot about the responsibility entailed in keeping houseplants alive—that should give you an idea about whether this collection is for you.

A lot of pressure gets put on making things for something, or for some reason, in the pressure of but why? & but who‘s this for? & is it good enough? & it‘s a waste of time & energy & why don‘t you do something productive instead? & I think that all of this removes the importance & value of making things for the ones who are making it, because maybe the ones who are making the thing are the ones who need it most.

The act of taking care of plants every day over the course of months and years has helped show me that life takes time. But with time, life, for the most part, seems to gradually know what to do.

Mourning does not only apply to dying. You‘re allowed to mourn change as well. You can mourn an old home or a world around you that has changed so imperceptibly that it no longer feels familiar. That you are no longer the person you used to be is, in my opinion, a good reason for mourning. It may be a cause for celebration sometimes too. But you are always allowed to give who you once were a send-off, a memorial, before you move on from them.

This was my first listen using #netgalley audiobooks. The app seems glitchy with it....? Almost every other “section” wouldn‘t play. Or, appeared to be playing on my phone but no sound. Has anyone else had that experience? Unfortunately I think it really colored my view of this book — actual review in comments ⬇️
*image taken from publisher‘s advertisement*

Thank you Edelweiss for the advanced copy.

I did not know who Sun was before getting this. If you are a follower of his you may love this.
These are short 2-10 page essays, variety of topics. 99% of them feel like an instagram post. Sun has an asthenic that somehow reminds me of a monk. A calm and reflected tone. But overall at the end I barely remember most of the topics and know I will not remember this book at all in a few months.

Weekend reading gials
A good start to 2021

Oldish news but I‘m so excited about this one. 🍃💚