Welcome to Litsy!

A middle aged female artist facing a midlife crisis writes about a middle aged female artist facing a midlife crisis with all the credulity of a teenager who has just figured out how to have an orgasm, certain the rest of the world must not be clued in to the experience.

I still really liked it though, there were moments of real insight and while the main character remains insufferable from beginning to end, I still liked her. 💜

"I'd thought the two paths were:

sex with Davey vs. a life of bitterness and regret

But maybe the road split between:

a life spent longing vs. a life that was continually surprising"

I'm still not sure about this book but I feel this quote deeply, and it's one of the few times I've felt any genuineness from the main character, who hides herself from everyone, including the reader.

"It took me two days to call Brian the neighbor because I was busy savoring my position, like when a crush finally texts back and you want to enjoy having the ball in your court for a while."

Y'all know I have a soft spot for unlikeable female main characters but it is only page five and I am really being tested on this one. Also this particular quote had me ??? I have no idea why it's not THAT funny

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I didn‘t love this. The writing was engaging and I got through it quickly but I just did not connect with the MC. There were some interesting pieces of commentary about women‘s sexuality and relationship structures and menopause, but by the time they came around I wasn‘t willing to give the MC a pass for being a self-absorbed jerk. #ToB2025 #ToB25

Read in 2024. At first I was a little unsure when I started listening to this one. It dealt with many topics & areas that I know nothing about but I realized that it‘s important for people with all different experiences to be able to tell their story. The biggest thing that resonated with me is the f-in patriarchy. Just that realization of how much of our lives as women is directed by the patriarchy (especially as we get older). The societal

Surprising at every turn. Some very explicit sex scenes in this novel about a woman facing change in her body. A story about family and how to be an individual within parenthood. Great first book of 2025. Not for the faint of heart. 4.5 🌟

I really do not get the fuss. The first 2/3 of this book was stupid. Is it possible that an educated woman has never heard of perimenopause? I trust the other books on all the “best of” lists will be an improvement.

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/24/this-book-is-my-bible-the-w...

Interesting read! A couple of comments here that made me 🤔 - eg ‘the author is older and cooler than me so that makes non-monogamy more legitimate.‘🤷‍♀️

What do you all think?!

Hmm. This was a little too out there for me. While it‘s full of great lines that will actually stick with me, the protagonist was just too over the top on the sex stuff and it felt incomprehensible to me. Not that there isn‘t a certain enjoyment in reading those kinds of characters. The parts about her birth trauma and perimenopause were far more interesting to me than the lust parts. #tob25

My feelings about this one are complicated. The mid-life experience of a woman going a little crazy during perimenopause while dealing with child rearing, career, marriage and fidelity told in such an honest and intimate way was very well done. The narrator made me feel uncomfortable and maybe that is a good thing, but as I struggled with that feeling I realized that I really did not care for her or her cringey behavior. Light pick for me.

I absolutely hated the first 3/4 of this. Part of the problem was that I looked up July‘s Instagram before I started reading, and could not separate the author, who I found to be a self-indulgent exhibitionist, from her main character. However, it was very well-written (although it dragged in parts), and the stuff about aging resonated with me.

I guess I should read this one 😂.

And, of course, in a patriarchy your body is technically not your own until you pass the reproductive age.

Provocative and much talked about, I liked the on point writing and sense of humour, but didn‘t love the far-fetched & self-indulgent elements. Then again, I‘m all for more women telling their stories in a world that still seems to be dominated by men. The menopause side doesn‘t interest me that much but is resonating with many. Frank & intelligent, a good book club pick.

Had to sit directly in the sun today after work and read in my favourite park. It didn‘t help, but it also didn‘t hurt.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I couldn‘t put this down. The writing is crisp, honest, and funny. A book about love and relationships in all their forms. I‘m drawn to portrayals of midlife female MCs experiencing an awakening (and full expression) in their sexual, relational, and personal lives.

1-7 Oct 2024
Not sure how I felt about this book. It was challenging - in that the main character‘s journey was far removed from my life, my preferences and my values. Her actions were totally incomprehensible to me; the sex made me cringe. There was no aspect of her experience I wanted for myself. Ultimately I related best to Harris - wondering wtf was going on. But it kept me reading, even if I did not really like it. I did love Jordi.

(Photo of author Miranda July holding her hit novel All Fours) I am loving this book. It‘s edgy and creative and liberating. I can‘t wait to see where it ends up.

It‘s weird reading about a 45 yo woman w a 7 yo who sets out to transform herself on a long solo road trip… while being a 45 yo woman w a 7 yo about to take off on a long solo road trip (tho mine was planned months ago…😜).The book is bizarre, well-written, intense, a little crazy, & quite good. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Also, showing off our holiday pillows as the correct seasons settle in…

And sending #AllHallowsReadSwap #ahrs pkg tmrw! (Early bc of road trip)

Progress! 🤓

Finished Bulletproof ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I think they‘ve found their old spark again, or maybe it was the heavy nod to Only Murders 🤔☺️

Murderous Christmas ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 A cozy cozy! I‘ll definitely go back to read the 1st!

Listening to Mad Love on audio - a relatively quick murder mystery w a full cast. Def recommend so far!

Bubba & I are listening to the Zoo on road trips 🤩♥️

The tagged is for #reallifebookgroup… interesting so far! 🫢

I have Grace on loan from a friend, All Fours Libby/eBook came off hold (of course 🙄), picked up the Heyer yesterday from the library, and have had Untamed on my shelves for awhile - something made me grab it today 🤷🏻‍♀️

I STARTED EACH TODAY! I am supposed to read Atwood‘s The Robber Bride for a club meeting next Wednesday and Kaleidoscope is my current audiobook. #OhDear #WhereToFocus #Overwhelmed #Distracted

* Had a job interview a.m. 😢

Books update 🤓

Still finishing Sept‘s #cbbc, but up next is the tagged (a 2nd‘ary choice for #reallifebookclub) then the Cleo Coyle, my Sept #SeasonalCozies selection. I‘ve been meaning to check out their other work for a long time & I‘m finally doing it!

I also happen to be listening to their 20th (!) in the Coffeehouse Mystery series - definitely one of the better ones! ☕️🩸

Also rec‘d my #fffs package! Thank you @PatriciaU -I‘m so excited!!

Just started and already enjoying this one. I see mixed reviews here. I‘ll try not to read them so I can have a fresh experience. 📚

Where to begin? This book felt like a car crash in motion. You felt it the entire time. The central character is infuriating, willfully destructive, sometimes pathetic, sometimes woefully misogynist/ageist. She‘s always on the verge of seeing her behavior for what it is, blinks, and continues doing it. But isn‘t that life for some people?

Frustrating? Yes. Thought-Provoking? If you can stomach it, yes. The Litsy rating makes sense. 🤷🏻‍♀️😅😤

This is a weird book. Initially I was not impressed & almost put it down, then I got kind of swept up. Then it was just too much information, too much emotion, too much sex. But inside my head is too much sometimes, like could I just fucking shut up & give it a rest. That‘s what MJ wrote 🤯 her weaving of perimenopause into this was perfect and I had no idea about ghost baby syndrome. This is totally a book that has to be finished. I like Jordi

I‘ll be honest, this started slow for me but has taken an unhinged turn and I‘m seated and here for it.

I went into this book cold solely because it was named the Book of the Summer by a local bookshop since they sold an unprecedented amount of copies. I‘m getting why…and I‘m also slightly concerned/suspicious of my neighbors. 😅

My library hold came in for #camplitsy #betterlatethannever

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is really… something. Cringy and weird but also compelling and insightful, it‘s like the proverbial car crash you can‘t look away from. I can see why it was such a buzzy book this summer and I can appreciate how it‘s unflinchingly honest. 🎧

I wish I knew someone else who has read this so we could talk about it! I figured this would be right up my alley being the same age as the main character. Trying to figure out peri menopause/menopause and how it will impact life. But I couldn't really relate to her mid-life sexual awakening and/or crisis. Her personality is def different from mine. I had a hard time with some of the scenarios she gets herself into. I'll give it a light pick -⭐⭐⭐

Wow wow wow what a journey. I loved July's short story collection and was underwhelmed by her first novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but it really resonated with me, especially as a feminist bisexual mom. There were a lot of insights that blew me away. I loved the protagonist‘s relationship with her best friend, the subversion of the road trip story, the look at complicated birth trauma, and the sheer weirdness of it all.

I just couldn‘t. The character wasn‘t someone I could relate to. Certainly my issue, not the author‘s.

Just starting. The protagonist‘s voice is very strange. I hope I come to like it! 🤞

Current books I‘m not a super fan of.

Dropped off at a local #littlefreelibrary! I hope someone else enjoys it more than me 😆

"But thoughts don't work like that. You don't pick them like pears from a tree, they just fall on your head."

"No reason was turning out to be a major theme in life. Generally speaking, when real pain was involved, there was no reason, no one to hold accountable, no apology. Pain just was. It radiated with no narrative and no end."

"Motherfucker... I was referring to life itself."

"We only felt right when we were saving a life together, fixing a flat tire by the side of the highway. We only became us against insurmountable odds. The rest of the time we respectfully forgave each other for utterly failing to be what we felt we deserved. And then some of the time we were fucking furious about this and it seemed impossible to continue."

Ooof

#CampToB was very kind to indulge my rather extensive discussion questions for the second half of All Fours. You can check out the conversation here: https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/camp-tob-2024/week-10-all-fours

Okay, I'm 50% in and while I still love this character / Miranda July's voice, I am a little sick of Davey. I know a lot of littens have read this. Does he continue to dominate the novel? Or does she move on to something more interesting?

It's explicit. It's not for everyone. I found the book to be refreshing. Not all menopause looks the same for everyone.

Also, it illustrates the reason why I'm glad I have a short-haired dog. Read it, and you'll see.

1st half hilariouslyfunny& willresonate with most ladies in their 40s50sthey don‘t call itthe change for nothing ! Thesecond half;depressingly sadwhat‘s wrongwith being a straightfemale?Nothing wrong with not,but not everyone wants to jump into bed with the samesex oreveryone just to “try it “ because marriage is soboring ! Idid enjoy it& I‘m a great believer in be who you want to bedo what youwanttodobutDON‘T playwith hearts,it‘s notcool 2b cruel

I was going to come on here and say that this book ended up making no sense and I don‘t know what I just read…

What really happened is that I related to this book a lot and will probably be processing it for a while.

But, there were parts of it where she completely lost me and I didn‘t know what was going on.

Overall, I am glad this book exists, but I also can see why a lot of people bail on it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first half (through Part 1) discussion of All Fours is up on the #CampToB website! https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/camp-tob-2024/week-nine-all-fours

Seeing the discussion here really helped me craft my questions (awesome leading, @Megabooks !). If you're interested in seeing my questions or jumping into the conversation, check out the link!

“We looked at each other in the mirror, very seriously and then slowly smiling. Sex was great, but this. This was something we‘d never do with anyone else. Our thing.”

If you‘ve read this book, you know what just went down! I admit that I‘ve been VERY CLOSE to DNFing this a few times, but July‘s got my attention now and I need to see where she‘s taking me.

.

"Without a child I could dance across the sexism of my era, whereas becoming a mother shoved my face right down into it, a latent bias internalized by both of us suddenly lept forth in parenthood. It was now obvious that Harris was openly rewarded for each thing he did while I was quietly shamed for the same things. There was no way to fight back against this, no one to point a finger at, because it came from everywhere." (cont'd in comments)
??

Hey 👋 #camplitsy iv only just started this and so far it‘s grabbed me ☺️ think it‘s gonna me a winner for me. Great podcast about it on the weirdos bookclub , surprised by the low ratings on here , maybe it‘s more of a middle aged book ??? Who knows but happy reading and happy camping 🏕️ sorry I‘m late to the bonfire 🔥😆

"I am forever wanting to know what it feels like to be other people. What were we all doing? What the hell was going on here on earth?"

"False modesty is one of those things it's hard to go easy on, like squirting whipped cream from a can."

I am four minutes into this #audiobook and I love it already.

#ReadAway2024

Read for #CampLitsy24 I just couldn‘t with this book. While the train wreck of an MC was hard to look away from & I stuck with it for camp, I cringed hard through most of it. I can take an unlikable character, but it felt like every action from both the author and the MC was to get a reaction & it just didn‘t feel authentic to me. I don‘t know if listening to the audiobook read by the author made things better or worse.🤷🏻‍♀️⬇️