How I feel after reading half the stories in this supremely disturbing collection. The illustration is from one of the less grotesque (though equally unenjoyable) tales.

A pick from my latest book haul. Reviews are definitely not so great. Let‘s see how many of the stories I get through.

I love RHOBH and I love Erika - but this book was just awful. The same stories are told over and over again, and none of the Erika Jayne sass comes through. Skip the book and enjoy her on the show.

The title is a misnomer as the book takes a more holistic look at mental health disorders and the labeling of patients. The exploration of the right amount of “madness” required for compelling reality tv was most interesting (and upsetting and clearly exploitative).

Rainy afternoon reading.

Fast-paced memoir following poker-hostess and game runner Molly Bloom from her small town upbringing to high-stakes poker games in NY and LA, where wins and losses run into the millions on any given night. Looking forward to watching the movie adaptation!

Will just say I disagree with what everyone else is saying...

Was halfway through The Psychopath Test and needed a break. What was I thinking when I picked up Baby Teeth?! Halfway through both and am feeling completely terrified! 😦

A pick, but just barely. The story follows the personal and professional trials of fictional rock band Daisy Jones & The Six. The story is told in their own words via a (mostly) one-sided interview. The story telling technique was clever, but the characters not so much. The band members became a bit tiresome, cliche and stereotypical - but maybe that‘s part of the point. What‘s a rock band without sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll?

Gimmick alert 🚨 Based on the title I knew this listen would be schtick - but, really. The entire book was common sense delivered via contrived “rules for success”. The content wasn‘t helped by narrator Henry Jones, who was much to earnest for this jokey material.

Airport book purchase needed to supplement current book on hand. Three hour delay and cross-country flight = lots of reading time. 📚 ✈️

So. Good. Sometimes funny, sometimes hopeful, often heartbreaking. Eleanor is a deep and rich character that you cautiously root for. On a more personal level, I‘m grateful to have read this book at this particular moment. It‘s funny how the right book finds you when you need it.

“I noticed that it smelled lemony...I didn‘t normally notice my surroundings, I realized...when you took a moment to see what was around you, noticed all the little things, it made you feel...lighter.”

“She wasn‘t actually chewing gum, but her demeanour was very much that of a gum chewer.” Eleanor, I absolutely know what you mean.

Six hour to San Diego. Time for both a nap and a good read.

Only a third through and can tell this is a book that needs to be read multiple times to fully appreciate the absolutely frightening time in which we live. It also cries for discussion; strongly recommend reading with a friend or club.

Yes in every way possible. Characters are full and complex. The story is griping, emotional and suspenseful. The writing itself is beautiful and transports you. By far my favorite read this year thus far. A must add to your TBR pile.

Amy starts the book talking about how much she hated writing said book and how hard the process was. It showed. If you are a Poehler fan, I beg you to skip this read / listen. You may like her now; it‘s unlikely you still will after getting through Yes Please.

Reading poolside. What a perfect day.

Disliking Amy more and more. She tells a story of a severely delayed apology for an SNL skit that mocked children with disabilities. Then later remembers fondly how her and her brother used to pretend to be deaf so people would feel bad for their family. Another story has her recounting how she received the hilarious gift of picture showing a smiling Amy hugging a child rapist whose face was super imposed over Seth Myers. i might have to bail...

It‘s kind of breaking my heart that the more I listen to this audiobook, the less I like Amy Poehler. Having Seth Meyers narrate the chapter he wrote was fabulous, but her delivery is falling flat and it‘s all seeming like a poorly executed vanity project. Hoping my opinion changes as I continue to listen.

Weekend goals + listening to the tagged book while out and about. ❤️📚☀️

Illustrations produced on iPad Pro with Apple Pencil by Mark Scheibmayr; posted on dobbernationloves.com

I didn‘t love Plums as much as Garlic & Sapphires (being a restaurant critic seems like more fun than a magazine editor), but still thoroughly enjoyed Reich‘s zany stories of being thrown into the limelight while trying to reimagine a dated publication, manage absurd personalities and enjoy the benefits of an even more absurd expense account.

Select passages from Walden accompanied by simple illustrations that respect and elevate his message. This sort-of graphic novel covers why he went to Walden, his understanding of humankind, briefly touches on the beginnings of Civil Disobedience and ends with his return to Concord. An excellent introduction to Thoreau / Walden; enjoyed it so much I‘m considering purchasing it so that I can refer back when I need a little grounding.

Just Kids is the love story of Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, their art and New York in the late 60s through early 70s. In the audiobook, performed by Patti, you are completely transported and can experience the love and pain nearly first hand. This is a highly atypical pick for me, but must recommend. It‘s masterfully done and will be a sure favorite for anyone familiar with what NYC used to be.

Unanticipated express (10 day) loan from my latest library hall. Thoroughly enjoyed the antics described in Garlic and Sapphires; excited to jump into this sumptuous read!

“...my life itself was become my amusement and never ceased to be novel...”

Great concept, but maybe Kierkegaard‘s philosophy and concepts are so complex that they can‘t be distilled into a primer filled with cartoons? Or maybe the author/illustrator were using Kierkegaard‘s concept of indirect communication and I missed the whole point?! Either way, I know more now than I did before - but not as much as I would have hoped. #nonfiction2019 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa #maymadness #graphicnovels @Clwojick @RadicalReader

Litten parents: saw this at the library and thought it may be of interest!

Welp. You really can‘t judge a book by its cover. I thought this was going to be a fun quick female-empowerment themed read. I was right only about the quick part. I didn‘t hate it - but it felt like the author was trying to hard to deliver a message and be funny(?) at the same time. I didn‘t hate it, but can‘t really recommend it either.

Book read, podcast listened to and documentary watched. I still don‘t understand how brilliant, worldly investors (individuals and companies alike) were duped out of hundreds of millions of dollars. I also find it a bit sickening that nearly all employees were complacent in the fraud that endangered thousands of patients‘ lives. #nonfiction2019 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Continuing the nonfiction kick and loving it. Reading poolside also helps. 😊🌴☀️

Reading won out over inflight entertainment this time and I read this book from beginning to end. Absolutely loved the first 80%. Agnostic to the next 10% and hated the last 10%. Really, by the end I didn‘t care where Bernadette went. With that said - the first portion was so good (laugh out loud funny good) this one still gets a pick from me.

Updated #bingo board! Reading tagged booked for #somethingwithpictures
On a big #nonfiction kick and loving it!

#nonfiction2019

Compulsively readable true crime about two murders in a small town and the miscarriages of justice that allowed for innocent men to be imprisoned, with one headed to death row. First half leading up to the trial was a bit slower; second half moved quickly, though it was a bit difficult to keep all the different players in the story straight. Overall, very much a pick.

#nonfiction2019
#somethingaboutsurvival
@Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Day 1: A little mid-morning meditation to keep me going. Hoping to get a walk in this afternoon if the weather holds. #audiobookfitnesschallenge

Walks around the office building when I need to get a fresh perspective and a moment away; realizing it‘s okay to take a minute for myself! #maymadness #newtome #personalchallenge

Torn over this one. Content is completely out of my typical norm and definitely #newtome. Proud that I‘m expanding my scope and interested to listen to Patti‘s music and see Robert‘s exhibit at the Guggenheim.

Unsure if I should finish book first and then listen/see, or learn more about them as artists and their careers to have a greater appreciation for the story.

#maymadness
@Clwojick @RadicalReader @TheReadingMermaid

“Just Kids by Patti Smith has been chosen as this year's One Book, One New York winner...Smith will appear at Symphony Space, as part of the PEN America World Voices Festival on May 10 in a conversation and will be introduced by last year's One Book winning author, Jennifer Egan. Smith will also appear at the Center for Fiction the week of September 16-20.” https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mome/industries/1book1ny.page

Sometimes the movie is just as good, if not better than, the book. These two definitely fall into that category. It‘s been over ten years since I‘ve read either. No desire to pick them up again, but am now definitely in the mood for some Pacino and Deniro. Maybe I skip both The Godfather and Goodfellas (based on Wiseguy) and go straight to the best: The Godfather Part II! 🍿 🎥

#maymadness #booktomovie @Clwojick @RadicalReader

I‘m in love with (and in desperate need of) this type of challenge.

@wanderinglynn Can I participate from afar? I‘d post updates and such, but not count points nor be eligible for a prize. I don‘t want to over commit with so much work travel coming up. With your okay, my goals are:

Five books 📚
Dedicated five minutes of meditation daily 📿
20 min of yoga or brisk walking 4x/week 🧘‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️

🙏 😊 #audiobookfitnesschallenge

Proving to be a terrifying read illustrating our (in)justice system. #maymadness #booktomovie @Clwojick @RadicalReader @TheReadingMermaid

This book reminds me of a This American Life podcast that centers around InspiroBot. “The software that Peder Jørgensen and Jesper Sundnes created generates slogans that are sometimes funny but often weirdly insightful and – is this a bad word to use? – sort of profound.” There were certainly nuggets that were borderline profound, but did I need to read a book that could have been easily created by a bot? ??

Last few days of my scenery at Torrey Pines - which provided the peace and sense of gratitude for a very relaxed point of view! #maymadness #personalchallenge @Clwojick @TheReadingMermaid @RadicalReader

Trying to catch up on my updates post-business trip! In love with my last read (here) and look forward to watching the movie tonight. I‘ve been warned it‘s not that great 🤔.

Realizing another current read, The Innocent Man, also falls into this category. AND, it was finally my turn for Bad Blood from the library. I have a lot of reading and watching to do his week! 🎥 📚

#maymadness #booktomovie @Clwojick @RadicalReader @TheReadingMermaid

Has anyone read this or any other “Classical Comics” interpretations? Other than Maus read in middle school, I‘m a newbie to graphic novels. I‘ve committed to “Kierkegaard for Beginners” and “Thoreau at Walden” - and am curious about revisiting old favorites in a new format. 🙂

I ❤️ my library. This is just one of their rotating displays. Books nominated by libraries in cities through the world for the International Dublin Literary Award. 📚🥇

Plan is to dive into this, if I can (a) be strong and avoid the inflight entertainment and (b) stay awake!

Good lord, yes. I *loved* this book. Crazy characters, beautiful Savannah, murder and mystery - and it‘s all (mostly) true. Midnight is a true page turner. But be warned. The end leaves you wanting more of the Hostess City - so much more I‘m considering a weekend getaway! #nonfiction2019 #somethingwithadeath @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Couldn‘t be more relaxed. Good book, warm sun and a cool breeze.