Welcome to Litsy!

Thank you @monalyisha for running #AuldLangSpine again this year! It‘s such a fun event where you share your list of favorite reads from this year with your match and you read at least one book from each other‘s lists. I‘ve discovered some epic books from this event over the years!! Tagging one of my fave reads of this year—and because Litsy is such a special family!

As an adoptive parent, I felt incredibly seen by this book. As Frankel herself points out, it‘s vanishingly rare to see adoption portrayed in the media as a source of a (complicated, human) joy.

As a big fan of Laurie Frankel, my verdict for this one is: good but not great. Frankel always writes about family in a compelling way, but I found her to be more didactic than usual (especially the end). And while I loved the witty writing style, it felt like everyone- adults, kids, etc- had the same voice. It was sort of like Aaron Sorkin (💗) dialogue: clever and snappy but a little too perfect to feel believable.

Alongside This is How it Always Is, this is my second slam dunk read from Frankel. Here, she explodes the concept too many people have of what family “should” be and shows how families can look quite different. It veers dangerously close to sentimentality at the end, but I just loved it and didn‘t want to stop listening.

I loved every character in this book! I felt like I not only had a wonderful reading experience, but that I learned so much about the world of adoption, through the eyes of the birth parents, adoptive parents and the children. By giving the reader multiple timelines as well as allowing us to understand each character, Laurie Frankel really knocks this novel out of the park! Family is truly the center of this story.

My favorite part of this book was the building of this family family because they are all just good people.
Although I respect the track this story took, I found it a bit heavy handed as it made its way to the end. (Also, the input of right-ring extremists frustrate me in my fiction as much as in real life.)

If you liked Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry, you‘ll like India Allwood. Everything about her is interesting…her past, her mother, her boyfriends, her kids, her acting career, even her agent! Really liked this book about making the hard decisions for oneself, and living with the consequences. At heart, it‘s a book about all the unique families that are out there. Don‘t miss the author‘s note at the end.

This offers a refreshing take on adoption narratives, challenging the stereotype of pain and regret. I loved it!
I loved the children characters and their quirkiness. I loved the back and forth, very frank, hilarious conversations. Her twin ten-year-olds, with their witty banter and unexpected insights, provide comic relief amidst the chaos. I was laughing out loud one moment and contemplating different perspectives and profound truths the next.

This storyline was a tad inconceivable, but it was told well and had me laughing out loud a few times. It talked about the nastier side of representation and how the best intentions can be misconstrued and how scary it is to have and express opinions when you are famous because it all goes awry fast. Then you get canceled. I really enjoyed it and read it on a rainy weekend.

Going to be in the car all day, and this one isn‘t working for me. Moving on to something else. Good things I take too many books on every trip I go on 🤪📚🤓

You know when writing is so beautiful and clever that it takes your breath away, and you want to savor it but also read it all in one sitting? THAT. I loved this book from start to finish. I especially loved the chapters told in the 10-year-old daughter‘s voice.
Frankel shines a light on the diversity of adoption stories and the need for positive representation, and I really feel like this book should be required reading for… every human.

Thank you to @carolkathrynfitzgerald of bookreporter.com and Word of Mouth for the win.

@henryholtbooks
@laurie.frankel

Everything‘s fine.Everything‘s great. But you‘re always aware that at any moment, with no warning at all & no way to head it off, you might have to throw clothes over your pajamas & head out into the night, scared out of your mind, to battle whatever demons have come. It‘s always this serrated edge of scared for them & because of them, angry at them for getting into trouble & angry at whatever trouble had the audacity to get into it with your kids

Gawd I love snow days! I managed to finish 2 books! India Allwood is a successful actress, single mother of 2 adopted children when she causes a stir by criticizing the representation of adoption in a movie she's starring in. Things escalate, especially when it's discovered young India placed two children with adoptive homes. Family is complicated y'all! I ended up liking this but the structure felt constrictive & the book is too long. Frankl 👇

Frankel‘s new family dramedy lived up to my high expectations for it. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#family-family

Publication is expected January 23.

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #FamilyFamily

I enjoy a story that follows a person throughout time. At first I felt that the premise of a woman choosing to place two babies for adoption after unplanned pregnancies. All the missing pieces of India's life come together. Getting a backstage pass to the theater was a treat. A running theme through out is that the more people who love us the better. The premise of the story idea won out. Thank you NetGalley for a copy.

My second NetGalley book! So far so good. 😊