Welcome to Litsy!

Just finished for this week‘s book group…. And while I was fascinated by parts of the story, I was also annoyed with others. I mean the girl telling her story was mildly connected to Tony Costa in a “yikes that‘s freaky” looking back…. But felt a little inflated. And she had a horrible childhood to talk about aside from this brush with a murderer…. I wish more was known about Tony, his victims, but it doesn‘t seem like much was fully resolved

The book itself was pretty interesting, though moreso a memoir on the life of the author (who happened to be an acquaintance of Tony Chop Chop) instead of details on the heinous crimes he committed. I feel that even though they still portrayed him as a monster, it was 'Monster Lite' compared to what actually went down. I listened to this podcast after reading and was outstandingly more shocked at the disturbing things he did that weren't covered.

"JesusMaryandJoseph"
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Omg I can't get away from this expletive!! ??

#currentlyreading #nonfiction #JesusMaryandJoseph

Alternating between the authors memories and narratives which help reveal the full timeline of the serial killer Tony Costa during the late 1960s and beybeyond.This book is a chilling true crime read which is both a memoir and crime investigation, and I was hooked from the start What a read,Liza took us through her friendship with Tony as her babysitter and also through the sadness and upheavals of her childhood in such a poignant and honest way.

I had high hopes for this book.... but Liza drove me nuts! After awhile her stories about her mom and how she treated her just got to be too much. Almost to the point of whining. Maybe it‘s my mood but this could have been better. Instead it felt like a way for her to complain 🙄. Kind of ruined it for me.

Currently reading and I gotta say this is good. Has anyone else picked this up? #truecrime

@Avanders thank you for this #AHRS !! I‘ve had my eye on The Babysitter forever and I have not read Dervla McTiernan , and I am so excited to!! Thank you! 🤗💛

Started this one last night. #truecrime

#Scarathlon2021 #TeamSlaughter #bookspinbingo #spookoweenreadathon #screamathon #wickedathon #readlikehellathon #littenlisten @Clwojick @TheSpineView @4thhouseontheleft @StayCurious

A beautiful, relaxing fall day here in SC...perfect for outdoor reading! 🧡🌞🍂
Update~Finished the book...loved the part true crime/part memoir style writing! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
#fallreading #thebabysitter #memoir #truecrime

I was a bit disappointed with this part #truecrime part #memoir. Typically this combination is totally my jam, but I wasn‘t as captivated by this as I have been with others in this unique genre. This is told in alternating chapters —Liza about the author‘s childhood in Cape Cod and Tony — about the man who committed gruesome murders and how their lives intersect. Decent, but not incredibly compelling.

I forgot to post my #AprilWrapUp! 🤦‍♀️ I read 18 books in April and DNF one book. My favourites of the month were The Babysitter and Tender is the Flesh. Somehow I only managed to score two bingos 😂 #AprilStats

I had high hopes for this book, and while it was interesting it definitely didn't blow me away. A lot of the story is based on the author's childhood memories - I was a bit skeptical of how many details she was able to remember. The title itself also is a little misleading, as she grew up around Tony but he wasn't her babysitter in a traditional sense. I wish more time had actually been spent on Tony's crimes and court case. Overall ⭐⭐⭐

The Babysitter is part true crime, part memoir about a serial killer named Tony Costa who was active in Cape Cod in the 1960s and a young girl named Liza who knew Tony as her babysitter and friend. These two narratives were weaved together really well and both were equally compelling to me, which can be difficult to do. I thought this was a fascinating, but disturbing, account of a serial killer that I had never heard of before. 4⭐️ #NetGalley

Finished this one just in time for virtual book club the other night! It was quite good. A mix of true crime and memoir, done in a way that was especially readable. I really could‘ve kept reading even more. I wasn‘t familiar with this serial killer prior to reading this either. Highly recommend this new release true crime book! 4⭐️

Compulsively readable, horrifying & occasionally heart stopping while simultaneously leaving you marveling at the mundanity of life, the things we don‘t know about people & how chance can sometimes be the difference between life & death, this is a fast, gripping read. If the author‘s powers of recall seem overly detailed on occasion, it‘s ok. An interesting memoir about a dysfunctional family, a peripatetic childhood, & a murderous babysitter.

Going with memoir/true crime to start the weekend‘s reading.

This is a book that made me mad, sick, and troubled - which is what it should be. I was engrossed in every shocking turn and several moments forgot I was reading non-fiction. I‘m off to go hug my mom...Liza has a pretty awful mom who drags her around working jobs, partying, and leaving her kids w/random people. One of these random people was serial killer Tony Costa. Liza‘s recollection is captured here. Full review on ScrappyMags.com

When I requested this it was the title that sucked me in. Then I read the synopsis and I was like I have to read that! Im very into true crime and I had never heard of Tony Costa aka the Cape Cod Vampire/killer. This was a very interesting perspective for sure.

Book 28

Part memoir and true crime, author Liza Rodman paints a memory of her babysitter, divorced father Tony Costa. Come to find out, Tony was a serial killer leaving a string bodies in Provincetown during the 60's. As Rodman relives her painful childhood with struggling single mom and the fond recollections with Costa, the book displays a story of family dysfunction and the closeness of evil that surrounds her.

Wow!!!! I tore through this memoir/true crime book. This is such a bonkers story and a serial killer I had yet to hear about. If you love true crime, this is for you! Many many thanks to Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy. This will definitely be one to pick up when it releases in early March!