Starting my IRL Book Club pick, The Chicken Sisters by @kjda, with my IRL Book Club bookmark that I hope to not need since the chat is tomorrow. 🤪

My July Buddy Reads TBR....

📚 Indivisible by Daniel Aleman
📚 The Guncle by Steven Rowley
📚 The Book of Lost Saints by Daniel José Older
📚 The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia

This was a favorite. Like a Love Story will get you right in the heart. It follows 3 teenagers in the 1980s at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic as they learn who they are and how to love in a period of immense fear and prejudices. The characters feel real. You love them and are frustrated for and by them at the same time.

It's a story about a treatment facility that is supposed to be beneficial for those with chronic ailments, autism, and even infertility. Something goes wrong, an explosion. Who is to blame?

I enjoyed how it switches between different points of view with each passing day of the court proceedings to paint a fuller picture of what happened. The characters are not loveable, for the most part, but it helped make them seem more real, human.

I really enjoyed this read even if it messed with my mind. I love fictional books that make you more aware of different cultures and their life experiences. I can only imagine what refugees of war are going through and I don't wish it on anyone.

My heart broke for and hoped for Nuri and Afra. Such an interesting writing style and I love that Lefteri used this novel as a way to tell the stories of those she encountered in her volunteering days.

Forgot to post this last month 🙈

This book was creepy is so many way and, although I guessed at the truth early on, I was quite wrapped up in its unraveling. Also, add someone that was resistant to adding Alexa to our household, this book definitely played on those smart house fears. It was a great October read.

Also, very glad that the dolls scene happened after this was my nightstand neighbor for a night... just saying

I sped thru this, finishing in only 2 days. (That's quick for me! 🤪) I really had no idea which way this book was going (I don't read summaries.) ...and I'll admit I was expecting more but I still enjoyed this book. It follows the lives of a few different characters, some of whom I got pretty attached to, as this sleep comes into their college town. It was a fun read for my book club and a good break from the heavier books we've been reading.

This was a fun read. Casiopea, a young woman living in rural Mexico, accidentally unleashes the Mayan god of death and goes on a journey to help him and herself. Infused with Mexican and Maya culture,I had Google nearby the whole time. (The author actually added a glossary in the back too!) I missed some of the mythological references/hints, but luckily I read this book as part of a buddy read and got a lot of insight from my fellow readers.

What are you reading this weekend? I recently finished Normal People by Sally Rooney. A story of love and friendship over time and how it can change over the years, especially as we learn who we are. I enjoyed Rooney's portrayal of everyday life growing up, for the po

200 pages to go and book club is tomorrow! Not sure which of these other ones I'll start next, if I do finish An American Marriage tomorrow though. What's your vote? Also, wish me luck! Lol
#countdown #yethereiamonsocialmedia

Cheers! It's Wednesday, y'all! And, for once, the sunshine is out. I'm sitting out back, just cracking open An American Marriage. What are you reading?

This book takes us on a journey alongside a Sunja and her family, over 4 generations. It's the story of a Korean family as they travel to and expand their family in Japan throughout the 1900s, thru wars, poverty, and discrimination. I enjoyed how developed the characters are. They are complex and we see the humanity of what it's like to live poor as an outsider with limited opportunities. This book felt real. I definitely recommend it!

I'm not sure if the story got me, or if it is the fact that this book was published posthumously, but this book will pull the heartstrings! At the same time, maybe because I went the audiobook route, I did feel a slight distance throughout the book that I left me wishing for something more. I can't figure out if it's the writing, the reading, or my personal mindset while listening to it that is responsible for it. 🤔 Overall, it's a good read.

Rainy day reading. I'm about half way thru #Pachinko It follows the lives of this poor immigrant family over four generations, starting in the early 1900s. I still have a couple generations to meet 🙃 Have you read it yet? What'd you think?

One of the best ways to understand someone unlike you is to listen to their story with an open mind. If you were born and raised in a big city, this book might be a bit of a culture shock. As a sociologist, these topics were already familiar to me, but I appreciate that this book gives you a more intimate and personal perspective of what living poor in the Rust Belt is like with the ability to reach a much wider audience, as is needed. Great read!

Did you know that today is National Book Lovers Day?! I can't think of anything more appropriate than this being the holiday that falls on my birthday every year. To top it off, my husband got me this awesome bookmark / page holder and took me to The Library, a local restaurant, to celebrate! I only reread this page twice before giving up on reading today though. Instead, I came home with 3 new books...

Just picked up my local book club's book for August! Have you read it yet? What did you think??

This book paints a spectrum of gray where we tend to see only black or white. Perel sheds light on the complexities of marriage and infidelity, without condoning the latter... or necessarily the prior either. From a sociological standpoint, I found it fascinating

So excited to get back on the review train! This is my first ARC in years and didn't even know I'd won it until it showed up today! Woot woot. I can't wait to read Dovey Johnson Roundtree's story. Stay tuned! 📚❤

Awesome book club pairing, wouldn't you think?
@ Cajun Cafe on the Bayou

I didn't even know Chrissy had written a book but I love This Is Us and when I had to quickly find another audiobook for the #24in48 readathon this weekend, I found this. Read by Chrissy herself, I really enjoyed this. She cracks me up. I love her personality. She is FLO-RID-DA, and I love it. (We aren't that bad! Ha). Anyway, it's a little bit of a memoir, a little bit of a self help book.

I love Betty White. She is that sweet grandma, that, at least after you read this, you're slightly worried about. She cracks me up. I did laugh out loud a few times! But, the stories are short and random. Based on the title, I should have been more ready for that. I didn't know that she had already written many books and that writing is a passion for her. I just stumbled across this one. Recommend if you love Betty and need a little laugh.

Told for a child's point of view, you lose some depth and some stores are repeated while others remain half told. That aside, Nujood's courage is amazing! I hope this book and her story continue to chip away at this deeply rooted cultural practice and improve life for children everywhere. I recommend reading this book. She is a trail blazer. I hope she is safe today.

You can't help falling for Kya and feeling her ups and downs along side her. I loved the imagery. Most importantly, this book makes you think (or should) about the prejudices that we all, throughout our lives, assume against someone different from us and the importance of checking ourselves, correcting our misconceptions, and recognizing our role in the lives of others. (If you think you don't have prejudices, you're lying to yourself.) #24in48

#Rant
Ever read a line that disturbs you enough that you have to stop reading for a minute? For me, that's what "She nodded, so he leaned down and kissed her softly at first, and then like a man." I think this is why I can't read a lot of romance or erotica novels. Why do we perpetuate the idea that 'softly' or 'gently' cannot be manly at the same time? Why do we, even as subtle as this line may seem, enforce that to be a man you must use force?

"His dad told him many times that the definition of a real man is one who cries without shame, reads poetry with his heart, feels opera with his soul, and does what's necessary to defend a woman." (Page 48) #feministmen #forthewin
▫️
Anyone else look up music mentions along the way? #pandora #listeningnow #24in48

It's refreshing to hear a historical account of a powerful woman without the overabundance of sexism present. Well, it's still present, as the author compares the sexist characterization depicted so far to a more realistic anti-sexist viewpoint. We need more of this! I enjoyed this book immensely and plan to purchase the hardcover for keeps in the near future. I think it's time to switch to paper... #picsart #audiobook #24in48 5⭐

Finished, after many rereads and much highlighting and tabs. This book reinforced a lot of what I learned in college while earning my Sociology degree but like Robin mentioned, you're never done learning. There was also a lot of new information. I can see how this could be hard for some people to read this but I promise it's worth it. Go in with an open mind. I'm looking forward to checking out the Further Reading section 4⭐ #24in48 #00h29m

Counting down to the #24in48 readathon challenge! Hoping to wrap up Cleopatra and tackle Where the Crawdads Sing tomorrow. I've heard nothing but good things about it. Have you read it? What would you read after that?

... On a separate note, I hope this cold doesn't mean I sleep more than read this weekend.
😬🤞 #24in48tbr

As someone that recently moved from Clearwater, FL, I've always been interested in learning more about scientologists... especially when I was seated across the street, watching them walk by nonstop as I sip my coffee. Leah Remini's Troublemaker gave great insights to the everyday life of a scientologist and what intrigues one to join and stay with scientology. I enjoyed this read!