@Megabooks on Litsy

Woodworking | Emily St James

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the #CampLitsy25 discussions about Death of the Author. They were better than I'd even hoped they'd be!

Next we'll turn to Woodworking by Emily St. James. I loved this book, and I hope everyone else enjoys it, too. And even if you don't, please join in the discussion!

July 19 we'll discuss through page 175, and then the reading for July 26 will start with “Abigail October 22“ on page 176.

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Ruthiella This one is 100% my favorite of the six. So many emotions! 1d

squirrelbrain Looking forward to the discussions! 1d

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 1d

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Megabooks @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 1d

Megabooks @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ 1d

Megabooks @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 1d

Megabooks @karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx 1d

Megabooks @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 1d

Megabooks @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 1d

Megabooks @Ruthiella Same! It's going to be one of the best of the year for me. 1d

Megabooks @squirrelbrain ME TOO! 1d

Hooked_on_books I‘m excited to actually be reading this one at the same time as the discussions. A rare event for me! I can‘t wait! 1d

BarbaraBB Wow that‘s high praise! @Ruthiella @Megabooks 💖 1d

Texreader Would you please add me to the discussions? @squirrelbrain @barbarabb Somehow I missed the post for Death of Author (edited) 1d

Christine For sure a best of the year for me also! @Ruthiella @BarbaraBB 1d

Bookwormjillk Looking forward to the discussion! I haven‘t started yet, but if it‘s anything like the rest of the books I know we‘re in for some good talks! 1d

Prairiegirl_reading I‘m just over half way through and I can‘t wait for the discussion! Camp hasn‘t turned out the way I was hoping so far so I‘m excited to finish this one and finally get to join in! 1d

JenReadsAlot Im really enjoying it so far! 1d

vonnie862 I hope my hold comes in soon! 1d

Reggie I loved this book so much. Ready to discuss. 1d

GatheringBooks Like @Reggie i have finished reading the book! Very telenovela like! Enjoyed it, too. 1d

Megabooks @Texreader Hey! I checked and you are on the tag list. Litsy can sometimes be glitchy unfortunately. I will try to remember to tag you twice next week to make sure you see it. I'm sorry!! 1d

AmyG I look forward to it. I also loved it. 20h

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Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Welcome to the final week discussing Death of the Author! Please feel free to discuss these questions in light of the whole book. I have enjoyed leading the discussion on this book and hope you've found it as enlightening as I have! I will post the page breaks for our second July book, Woodworking by Emily St. James, later this weekend.

Everyone will only be tagged in this post, but there are two additional questions. #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 3d

Megabooks @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 3d

Megabooks @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ 3d

See All 64 Comments

Megabooks @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 3d

Megabooks
@peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 3d

Megabooks @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 3d

BarbaraBB To me Zelu‘s decision to go to space is a powerful culmination of her struggle for independence, personally and creatively. Her choice reflects a leap into uncharted territory, transcending her physical limitations and societal expectations. It‘s emblematic of her journey: from being defined by disability, culture, and familial roles to authoring her own narrative—quite literally. 3d

Bookwormjillk I agree with @barbarabb that it was part of her struggle for independence. I also thought that it was a move towards equality for her since she wouldn't have to rely on legs as much in space due to weightlessness. I thought her family's reaction was over the top, and probably did have to do partially with her father's death, but also a lot with control. 3d

Suet624 So much pressure was building up for Zelu and she seemed to have little to no support, other than Msizi. Her dad, who used to support her, was gone. I thought back to how much she loved to swim and how that felt for her. Free, weightless. I wondered if that was why she decided to go to space. To feel the adventure, to feel free and weightless. 3d

jenniferw88 I also agree with @BarbaraBB . I just hope that if the story continues (as Rusted Robots is meant to be a trilogy!), Zelu doesn't reveal to Msizi she went into space knowing she was pregnant and had the treatment without consulting him. I think that could be the final straw for him, which would be a shame as they worked well together. 3d

Chelsea.Poole I loved that she made it to space, a personal dream fulfilled despite the doubts of her family. For sure, all about independence and breaking the mold…agreeing with others on this! Zelu always went her own way. (edited) 3d

Lesliereadsalot Once Zelu realized she could write, then she could walk, then she could travel to Nigeria, then she could go into space. It felt like a very natural progression to me, that of growing into her own person who was capable. I loved that she was making all her own decisions! 3d

JenReadsAlot I loved it! 3d

AmyG I, too, agree with her quest dor independance and freedom…from her body and disability. And yes, her family did seem controlling…especially after her father died as he was her biggest supporter. 3d

mcctrish I love how @BarbaraBB summed it up. I was surprised how Msizi reacted, he was always so “you go girl” but if this is a trilogy then he‘s going to really freak over the pregnancy and Zelu not telling him @jenniferw88 is right with her predictions I think. I was happy zelu‘s siblings were “ of course you have to go” - taking on their dad‘s role 3d

TheKidUpstairs I think her father's death greatly influenced her family's reactions, especially her mother. It was Zelu who helped her mother find herself outside of that partnership after his death, and I think her mother started her journey towards seeing Zelu after that. The conversation with her mother was so genuine, the fear and then the acceptance and "you're such an annoying daughter" was a wonderful moment. 3d

CBee Zelu was always going to be Zelu. I just watched an episode of “The Resident” where a young guy with muscular dystrophy is at the end of his life and before it gets bad, he decides to do a zero gravity flight. The look on his face made me cry - this is what it was for Zelu, I think. To feel free, to “swim” in space. I loved it. 3d

Reggie @BarbaraBB @Suet624 🖤🖤🖤 3d

Jas16 I agree that after years of being told what her limitations were and fighting back Zelu was reclaiming her childhood dream. Her loved ones were already scared by all of the ways Zelu was asserting her independence and space is a scary unknown so I didn‘t expect them to be supportive especially after the death of her father and what happened when she went to his grave. 3d

vonnie862 I agree with everyone. Going to space is something that she had dreamed of doing when she was a child. Going to space as an adult is a way to continue her road to independence and feeling equal. Plus, she wanted to get away from it all. 3d

Butterfinger I totally agree with @mcctrish and @jenniferw88 about her decision to go to space without telling Msizi about the pregnancy. She wanted to go so badly, ever since she was a child. She was going to do whatever was needed, including more untested technology. I think the father's death affected the siblings' decision to finally accept her as she is and to stop trying to conform her to their will. They came together when they decided where to bury him 3d

mcctrish @Jas16 her siblings fear all stems from them not wanting Zelu‘s choices for themselves and her dad‘s power was, to quote Mel Robbins “let her” - sometimes in hindsight Zelu can see they were right ( going to Nigeria) but a lot of good still came from it. I think going to space is important for her like @vonnie862 said 3d

Ruthiella Great discussion! 👍 3d

squirrelbrain @CBee - that‘s lovely, if rather sad. 😢 3d

squirrelbrain I agree with @BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk - it was definitely her showing that she could be independent and also a craving for the freedom that weightlessness would give her. I do think the pregnancy very much showed her selfish side. 3d

CBee @squirrelbrain it was heartbreaking. And of course Zelu isn‘t about to die (I totally thought the entire book was going to end with her death, anyone else? 🤷‍♀️). But it encompasses the same headspace, I think. To want to feel that freedom when you‘re unable to use your legs on earth. 3d

Suet624 @CBee totally thought she was going to die. 3d

Deblovestoread Love all the points made and agree with everyone. Plus in space there will be no one to put limits on her. (edited) 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures @jenniferw88 the pregnancy “twist“ didn't work for me. I am not fully understanding what Okorafor was trying to do there. I thought there was enough drama without it, and it wasn't something that was reflected on enough to move the story forward in any meaningful way. I would expect Msizi to leave her for that, messing with her DNA, not telling him at all, going to space pregnant. It's too much. 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Lesliereadsalot love how you have laid out her progression of independence, it all started with rock bottom, and her expanding her imagination with her novel. Like @Chelsea.Poole points out, this was her original childhood dream. I am glad she made it there. 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures @CBee I for sure thought she was going to either die, or go somewhere where she was good as to her family. All of the interview sections the family and friends spoke of her in the past tense. I am not convinced she comes back from space, or if she does maybe her new science experience on herself makes her not herself any longer. 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures I think she had to go to space. As her mother said, Zelu and her father are Adventurers. Space is her dream, and more so with her current body. I am a black sheep of my family in the Adventure vein. I have spent decades solo traveling and my whole family are complete home bodies they do not understand so I related to Zelu in this aspect. If you have the Adventure gene you feel an intense pull, if you don't have it you cannot understand. 3d

CBee @Suet624 glad I‘m not the only one! But I guess it would‘ve been too obvious - I mean the title of the book is “Death of the Author” 😂 (edited) 3d

CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures agreed! Left it quite open ended. 3d

JamieArc It felt like going to space was inevitable for her. I‘m not sure how I feel about the fact that the two biggest things of impact for her were provided by rich white men, but perhaps to do otherwise would have felt too far-fetched 😂 2d

JamieArc I loved the flip of the family in support. When she told them about going to space, it seemed like it would just be another decision that brings shame and pain to the family, but it wasn‘t. That was a great chapter. 2d

MeganAnn @ChaoticMissAdventures I agree, the pregnancy twist is unresolved. Although it does show how selfish she is @squirrelbrain . I also didn‘t realize this is intended to be a trilogy so I expect that may actually be something to set up reactions in the second book. It is interesting that her search for independence culminates in her childhood dream to go to space but then she gets pregnant. A baby is going to be the opposite of independence for her. 2d

rockpools Her family‘s reactions to her going into space were one of the high points of the book for me, and showed how much they‘d all grown in their recognition of her as an independent and extremely able person. I particularly enjoy Chinyere‘s ‘OK, I quit. You‘re amazing‘ - total and long overdue acceptance (even if she doesn‘t understand Zelu). 2d

MeganAnn @JamieArc agreed about her family! I fully expected them to berate her like before and was very happy they did not do so. I do think the death of their father had a lot to do with that reaction — they all became closer during that experience. I loved how they seem to be starting to see and understand her a little better now. 2d

rockpools But I‘m with @ChaoticMissAdventures on the pregnancy twist. Enough, surely?! And @MeganAnn A trilogy? Really? That makes a lot of sense in terms of the hanging bits. And the fact that Rusted Robots was commissioned as a trilogy. But (as a very bad series reader) I‘ll be perfectly happy if it isn‘t. The ending was just-so, as-is. 2d

MeganAnn @Butterfinger I agree she was going to anything necessary to go to space no matter what. And I think her doing so without telling Msizi about the pregnancy and DNA technology is true to her character while also pointing out how selfish she can be by not telling him. He already didn‘t want her to go and she knew the pregnancy would be the final straw. @BarbaraBB said it beautifully that her decision to go the space is emblematic of her journey. 2d

TEArificbooks I agree with the main thoughts so far. Going to space was more about breaking boundaries and achieving a dream she never thought she could. I like what @thekidupstairs said about how zelu helped her mom gain a new identity without her husband and I think maybe going to space was zelu also trying gain a new identity without her dad learning to live with without him 2d

Megabooks @BarbaraBB Very well said, B. A lot of this book can be read as a struggle to create one's own narrative and shape the story both on Zelu's side and the robots' side. 2d

Megabooks @jenniferw88 that's an interesting thought about a trilogy! I think most of Okorafor's other books are part of a series, so I'm curious about this one, too. 2d

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot Her burgeoning independence was a joy to watch for sure! 2d

Megabooks @TheKidUpstairs I loved those moments when Zelu helped her mother restyle her hair. I was please to read that scene and the evolution of their relationship and her mother as a character. 2d

Megabooks @CBee I read Against Technoableism and the case the author made about certain disabilities making space travel easier for those people was really compelling. It was a fascinating book.

Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement (A Norton Short)

Megabooks @Butterfinger Yeah, I had very mixed feelings about her going into space while hiding her pregnancy. My first thought was the DNA damage, so I'm glad Okorafor wrote around that. I think to me it goes to whether decisions about pregnancy continuation or other health decisions belong to the pregnant person or both partners. I think it becomes murkier if the partners are in a committed relationship/marriage. @squirrelbrain (edited) 2d

Megabooks @Butterfinger Because if there isn't a LTR between the partners, my feeling is strongly that the decision belongs to the pregnant person. @squirrelbrain (edited) 2d

Megabooks @CBee I also thought it might end with her death. I was pleasantly surprised! 2d

Megabooks @rockpools I agree. It showed a lot of growth in all their characters and their estimation of Zelu's abilities and independence. 2d

BookwormAHN I was so glad she got to go and I think the pregnancy represented a jump in human evolution. 2d

Well-ReadNeck The family connections is a theme that I can‘t stop thinking about. Initially, I felt that — like so often happens— her family put her in a pigeon hole that no amount of growth/change/time can get them to see her differently. But, in the second half, I felt like her parents esp. are bringing their trauma to how they see her. I think they feel guilt for not being able to protect her from her fall and are especially anxious/fearful for her …. 2d

Well-ReadNeck … But, as her mother lets go a bit, she is able to separate from Zelu more. I think the key scene for me was when the two of them are taking an autonomous car together. 2d

julesG Just because the fictional Rusted Robots was supposed to have sequels, doesn't mean Death of the Author will be part of a trilogy. 2d

GatheringBooks Everything that @BarbaraBB noted - even though it initially did not happen for Zelu, I had a feeling the opportunity would resurface at a later point and it did. Zelu is literally too expansive for this small world that she has to explore the infinities of the universe. Plus, how can anyone pass up something like this? The support from the family was unexpected but refreshing. Agree with @ChaoticMissAdventures that the pregnancy twist only ⬇️ 2d

GatheringBooks (Cont) serves to put Zelu in a morally ambiguous light yet again - but maybe perceived as essential to the even bigger twist towards the end, and the continuation of Zelu‘s story through her child, whom we have been reading about in the rusted robot story. How very meta! What a loop! 2d

Suet624 @julesG great point
2d

BarbaraJean @CBee @Suet624 I absolutely thought this would end with Zelu‘s death! Like @ChaoticMissAdventures I thought the past tense of the interview sections supported that. Before starting the book, I assumed the title would be a reference to the concept in literary theory—that the author‘s intent is irrelevant to the text‘s meaning. But as the book went on (with the interviews, and so many events where she was in danger), I thought it might be literal. ⬇ 2d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) In the end, I love the title & the questions it raises. Is Zelu the “author” of the title, or is it Ankara? Or is it Okorafor, indicating the reader must construct the meaning of the ending—whether Ankara is a character in Zelu‘s story, or whether Zelu is a character in Ankara‘s story. @Megabooks I love that insight about the book being read as a struggle to create one‘s own narrative. That ties the title and the ending together so well. 2d

DebinHawaii As always, very late to the party, but reading the discussion is helping me understand & appreciate the book. Like @cbee @Suet624 @BarbaraJean I also thought due to the title & interviews that Zelu was going to die at the end. Also, maybe because of just reading Challenger, once the space trip was an option, I thought it would blow up in flight or on reentry. It‘s interesting if it is a trilogy & what will happen in the next book. I do think ⬇️ (edited) 1d

DebinHawaii … it was in character for Zelu to do whatever it takes to go & achieve her dream. I also really liked the way her family relationships—particularly with her mother were evolving. 1d

Suet624 @DebinHawaii these discussions always help me understand the book we‘re reading more deeply. I too enjoyed seeing her mother start changing her attitude. 1d

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Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

We got into discussions about identity last week, and I hope you will all enjoy going deeper into Zelu's character and how Okorafor tackled identity in the book. #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @kitta Please lmk if if you don't see your handle tagged on the first question so I can rearrange where you are going forward. Thanks!! 3d

BarbaraBB I think Zelu‘s plural yet fractured identity is both a burden that isolates her in many ways—but it also enables her to write a new kind of narrative, one not confined by tribal allegiance, tradition, or expectation. 3d

Bookwormjillk I think it's true if Zelu says it's true. But again I agree with @Barbarabb that it's what let her break out of the box that people were trying to keep her in. 3d

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jenniferw88 I do think it's true, and that on any given day, different identities come into play. So for one day it could be black and American, another Igbo and disabled. 3d

Suet624 Good question. Not sure I have a good answer. We can closely identify with our different “tribes“ (I'm Irish, American, Vermonter, crone, etc.) or we can see ourselves as alone and individual in our experience and existence and that will affect how we navigate in our world. Zelu definitely seemed to have enough willpower to rise above any definition imposed by herself or others. Am I being too simplistic? 3d

Chelsea.Poole I think it‘s freeing in some ways to be able to be her own person, but it also may be lonely there. We need community but at the same time, with so many different identities can anyone truly understand Zelu? Is this true of all of us, in some ways? Maybe it also speaks to personality, perhaps some just prefer to go it alone. Zelu always felt different in her own family so essentially she was raised to be her own person. 3d

Lesliereadsalot I loved that she was a part of so many communities, that she could fit in with so many different groups of her life. I think it made her stronger to be able to identify with so many others on so many different levels. 3d

AmyG I think Zelu was trying to find her own identity within all the other identities that had a hold on her. Find a balance. 3d

mcctrish I think this is quite the social commentary - I personally feel/think being able to belong to multiple communities is fantastic. It connects you to and enables you to have more perspectives but if those communities don‘t feel the same way - you have to be only them - then your welcome isn‘t true or complete and becomes isolating. Zelu becomes more, as we all should, because of all her parts and because her ‘tribes‘ hold her apart 3d

CBee Like I said in my comment on the first post, Zelu was always going to be Zelu. All of the identities she had of course made her who she is but only partially. Her true identity, to me, was just being herself and as she‘d say, “fuck this shit” 😂♥️ 3d

vonnie862 @Suet624 you're not being simplistic. I agree with you. 3d

vonnie862 @CBee 🤣 3d

Jas16 There are nuances and different lived experiences even amongst member of the same sort of tribes that can leave you feeling just as isolated from others within that same tribe as you are from those of a different tribe. It helped Zelu understand she needed to carve her own place in the world. 3d

Butterfinger Her uniqueness of the totality of the different parts make her a part of none. One part cannot define her. @BarbaraBB said it more succinctly. I'm also going to add birth order. Even though my siblings and I share the same experiences, our perspective of the experience will be different - I and Chinyere would be the elder daughter who has to take care of everyone, the middle children can be free to climb trees and go to space. 3d

Butterfinger I also agree with @Chelsea.Poole and @Lesliereadsalot she desired support from her coomunities. Sometimes, the antagonism fueled her decisions, yet she would get support elsewhere like the MIT team. Or her social media followers. They saved her life. 3d

squirrelbrain I think it can be both simple and complicated @suet624, depending on how we view ourselves and even how we‘re feeling / what tribe we‘re identifying with right at that moment. I‘m not being very eloquent but what I‘m trying to say is that our identity is always in a state of flux. 3d

Deblovestoread I think she had a fighting spirit that may be took the best part of all those different tribes. Someone else with that experience might have given in to to the care, control and fear from family and had an ordinary life. As @CBee says Zelu was Zelu, uniquely herself. 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures I think that it is true that others never see her as enough. This is a common theme with racial/national identities when you are not fully one thing. You are never seen as “enough“ of any of the things. It is a common feeling - that is reinforced by how others treat you. I think Zelu is special in that she straddles so many identities. It does make for a lonely life, and I think her family does not help. 3d

rockpools Zelu is never going to be able to meet the expectations placed upon her by her many tribes, so you can totally see the “not-enough‘ness that @ChaoticMissAdventures describes, and that feeds into her anxieties. But your comment about going it alone really spoke to me @Chelsea.Poole - giving herself permission to do her thing and go it alone is really powerful. Hmm 🤔 2d

TEArificbooks I think it shows how complex every person is. We are all more than one thing. We are more than our skin color, our religion, our nationality, our relationships, our abilities, our jobs, one bad moment when we put our foot in our mouth, etc. we are all unique and important to the world. And we should all give ourselves and others a little grace. 2d

JamieArc I had the same thoughts as @ChaoticMissAdventures . Because she carries both sides of one identity (both not able to walk and able to walk for example), she is not wholly accepted by either side and becomes her own thing. This is just the case with her with many of her different identities. I like how the author further explored this with the robots. 2d

Megabooks @Suet624 I don't think so. I like the idea of her (or anyone) rising against categories that others are using to limit them, but I also feel the ability to use your identities to build bridges with others is important, too. 2d

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I like how you're bringing in how the way her family tried to limit her as a reason she transcended or broke out of the identities others imposed. 2d

Megabooks @mcctrish Oooo... I like this thought!! 2d

Megabooks @squirrelbrain I'm glad you pointed out that everyone is always in flux based on the situation we find ourselves in! 2d

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures I can see that, too. I think there was a special friction between her Igbo and Yoruba sides of the family. Even though these tribes live in the same country now, their traditions are so different. 2d

Megabooks @TEArificbooks 100%!! So important that we give each other grace in life! 2d

Christine Loving this discussion, so full of insights!! And I especially loved your comment, @TEArificbooks . 🩷 And yes, @Chelsea.Poole - I certainly think the complexity of how our many identities place us in relationship with others (and how this is often dynamic and messy!) is true for all of us. When I teach intro to sociology, one of the first things students do is complete the sentence “I am….” with as many identities as they can think of. After ⬇️ (edited) 2d

Christine the obvious (race, gender, etc.), they quickly start recognizing the many, many identities we all hold. They branch off into interests and hobbies and personality characteristics and usually (as intended!) end up walking away from the activity with a deeper appreciation of how even the things that seem super individual actually connect us to others, and can be spaces for community, if we want them to be. 2d

BookwormAHN I think that many different connections were too much and that it forced her to be her own person but I also think she would have liked to be closer to one of them. 2d

BkClubCare @Christine - Love this. I have also had a similar group exercise in teaching teamwork, diversity and bias. It was fun and really opened eyes and allowed wonderful sharing and relatability. We are all complicated and can often find common ground or new respect. 2d

Well-ReadNeck I‘ve thought a lot a lot these ideas during and after reading. Speaks a lot to intersectionality as well as how everyone also experiences things individually. Ultimately, I also think that her fame/visibility also leads folks to want to see her as an exemplar in each of these groups and that can make individuals in any single group hate or love her depending on their lives experience and how it compared to hers. 2d

GatheringBooks Love reading the commentaries here. the last quote indicating that Zelu “belonged to none” is incomplete as she also “belonged to all” the identities listed. The hybridities/pluralities of our identities can never be pigeonholed into just one aspect, the coming together of complexities to build the person that we are is what makes life so fascinating. Zelu embraced this fully, and that is why she is set apart by others who think in a binary mode. 2d

GatheringBooks @Well-ReadNeck yes to intersectionality! Exactly this. 2d

Kitta @Megabooks Im tagged this time! Thank you!! 2d

CBee @TEArificbooks yes!! 2d

BarbaraJean I think this is definitely true. I relate to this aspect of Zelu‘s character—she both belongs and doesn‘t belong. This parallels my experience as a TCK—“Third Culture Kid”—I spent half my childhood growing up outside my passport culture. The idea is that you‘re from one culture, but you live in a second one, so you end up creating your own third culture that both is and isn‘t either one. I see that in Zelu—she both is and isn‘t a member ⬇ 2d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) … of all these tribes, so she forges her own unique identity that both incorporates and transcends them all.

@Well-ReadNeck Yessss to intersectionality!! I love your insight that her fame leads others to adopt her as an example for whichever group they belong to. Those pigeonholed identities flatten and deny the complexity of humanity and the many, many layers of identities we all hold. 2d

Christine @BkClubCare Well said! I‘m pretty convinced that building more shared identities is what we need most in this moment and fundamental to solving most of our current social problems. 1d

DebinHawaii @TEArificbooks Love this point! 💙💙💙 1d

38 likes40 comments

Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

IMPORTANT NOTE - This discussion contains **MAJOR SPOILERS** so please be warned if you choose to read it before finishing the book.

Thank you all for joining us and continuing to make this experience fun! Next week we will start discussing the first half of Woodworking by Emily St. James. I will post page breaks later this weekend. Can't wait to see you back at camp next Saturday! Bring a fan because it‘s hot! #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Bookwormjillk I was very surprised. When I got to the last chapter I actually thought it was some kind of bonus interview with Okorafor and I had missed the ending. I went back and re-listened to the two chapters before it. The ending for me is what turned a just okay book (don't like story in a story as I've mentioned before) into one that I will remember for a long time. 3d

Suet624 @Bookwormjillk I absolutely agree with you that the ending bumped the story way up for me. I was already a fan of the story, but as things unfolded I recognized the beauty of what the author was doing. 3d

Lesliereadsalot Shocked would be more like it! I did not see that coming and I loved it. Really made it a memorable story for me. 3d

See All 51 Comments

AmyG What @Bookwormjillk said….the ending was what made me love the book. I love a great surprise and this one was fabulous! Thr reader thought one thing and Bam! It was completely different. Because it‘s up to the reader to interpret the story….and the reader read it differently. Brilliant. (edited) 3d

jenniferw88 It really demonstrates the danger of AI! 3d

CBee Absolutely did not see the ending coming and I‘m still a bit puzzled, but in a good way. It leaves things open to interpretation and personally, I loved it. But Jill, like you, I went back and reread to make sure I hadn‘t missed something 😂 @Bookwormjillk 3d

mcctrish @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG SAME!! I was reading it in print and I still had to go back and reread to process what happened! How bloody clever NO is 🤯 3d

Reggie Did anybody else think she was gonna die? The way the interviews were skewing I honestly thought she was gonna die in Nigeria, but then I thought she was gonna die in a shuttle explosion. And then I read the end and thought it was just a creative open ending on the robots part. I was bawling in the last couple parts because of what I thought was gonna happen to her but also the robots. The robots manage to do what it feels like us humans cant 👇🏼 3d

Reggie do right now which is come together. I loved this book so much. 3d

Bookwormjillk @Reggie yes, I absolutely thought she would die 3d

vonnie862 I was taken by surprise a bit because I felt that it missed something. After going back to the audio, I was a bit confused. 3d

Jas16 @Reggie yes! I thought she was going to die. From the title of the book to the interviews, I really thought I knew the ending. I was shocked by an ending I didn‘t see coming at all and completely in awe by jt. 3d

Reggie Also, I love that to release frustration and anger she goes to a Black owned shooting range. 3d

Reggie @Bookwormjillk @Jas16 yay, good to know I wasn‘t alone. 3d

Butterfinger This is exposing my weirdness, but the ending made me of standing in front of a trio of mirrors and when you manipulate them just so you see innumerable reflections of yourself. I couldn't help thinking that way it ended, Zelu wrote that the robot wrote her story and it would be a neverending circle that was going to make my brain explode if I kept think8ng about it. I know that makes no sense. 3d

ImperfectCJ I'm enjoying reading everyone's comments. I just finished it this morning, and I love this novel really hard. I'm going to need to process a bit before I can discuss, but I love the ending and like @Reggie and others, I thought she was going to die, too (although I started to question that after her family's reaction to her going into space). And I like Okorafor's billionaire way better than our real-life ones. 3d

Suet624 @Reggie I totally forgot about the shooting range!! And yes, we were certainly led to believe she was going to die, and I was trying to figure out how she was going to wrap up the book 3d

BarbaraBB @Reggie Yes I thought so too and yes @CBee I am still a bit puzzled too as I didn‘t see it coming. Who is the real author, Ankara or Zelu?! Brilliant! (edited) 3d

squirrelbrain @Reggie @Bookwormjillk @Jas16 @Suet624 - yes, me too! I‘d heard that there was a ‘shocking‘ ending and was sure that‘s what it would be. 3d

Deblovestoread Such an unexpected twist. I almost want to reread it with the new information to see if I think differently about what is “story” and what is “real”. 3d

CBee @Reggie YES! I thought the same. And I loved the robot arc. How beautiful it would be if humans could do that ♥️😢 3d

CBee @BarbaraBB so brilliant! 3d

CBee @Butterfinger makes sense to me! 3d

rockpools @Butterfinger This totally makes sense to me! And like @Bookwormjillk I thought I‘d reached a bonus interview and had to re-listen! Although I didn‘t *love* the book, I seriously do admire it and how she‘s put it all together. There are So Many questions you could have asked for this one. Excellent ending! Thanks for hosting, Meg! 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures Curious if anyone has read the 1967 essay “The Death of the Author” by Roland Barthes? I am not sure how much Okorafor took (if anything) from it, but is all about the intent of the author. And I think it is really interesting to think of that here. He says: “writing is the destruction of every voice, of every point of origin. Writing is that neutral, composite, oblique space where out subjects slip away, the negative where all identity is lost“ 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures it's a bit high brow but you can read it here: http://www.ricorso.net/rx/library/criticism/guest/Barthes_R/Barthes_R2.htm 3d

TEArificbooks @reggie yes through the whole book I was thinking she was going to die. I thought maybe a crazy fan or an accident in the driverless vehicle or in Nigeria or space shuttle or gun range. But I was not expecting the twist ending. It definitely made it a memorable book. 2d

JamieArc @Reggie I thought she was going to do too, and the interviews were a sort of story on the life of Zelu. But then in the last interview with Msizi, he says that he and Zelu DO work together, not past tense, so that made me change my mind. 2d

JamieArc During the last third, I was thinking that the story was slowing down, and the star rating was going down a little, but then the end happened and like others, I was pretty wowed and I‘m sure this book will stick in my head. It got my mind in a tizzy. Robots writing about humans writing about the robots. This is where I like the Barthes idea @ChaoticMissAdventures : who IS the true author? Lines are blurred. The author is dead. 2d

MeganAnn Yes, like a lot of others I definitely thought she was going to die until the last quarter or so of the book. The end was definitely a surprise and I loved it. It gives so many layers to every chapter before. I think this is one that will make for an excellent reread someday to see what other things I might notice after knowing how it ends. 2d

Megabooks @AmyG @bookwormjillk it made the book for me, too! 2d

Megabooks @jenniferw88 I am terrified about the AI provisions in the large bill passed here in the states recently. It paves the way for almost no regulation, which is terrifying. 2d

Megabooks @Reggie I absolutely thought she was going to die! I love your interpretation that the robots are doing what it was not possible for humans to. 2d

Megabooks @rockpools You're welcome! Sometimes genre fiction doesn't work well at Camp Litsy, but I loved the discussions here. I read this book back in February, and I was so excited to see it keep moving up in the voting. Campers exceeded what I thought the discussion would be! 2d

Megabooks @MeganAnn Yes! Rereading it knowing the end was a really good experience. It was one I didn't mind revisiting at all! (I first read the book in February then again for Camp Litsy.) 2d

Bookwormjillk @Megabooks this would be a good one to re-read knowing what happens at the end 2d

AmyG @Reggie Yep. Same. I thought she was going to die. 2d

Christine @Butterfinger I love your interpretation!! And yes re: the better billionaire, @ImperfectCJ ! 😂😭 2d

BookwormAHN I loved it especially the surprise ending. At some point I plan to reread it and especially pay attention to the robot parts to see if I missed some clue or something 2d

BkClubCare I might have to reread it, as well. I have already forgotten a lot. 😕 2d

Well-ReadNeck Love, love, loved the ending!!!! I was really loving this one but the ending catapulted it to the top of all the books I‘ve read this year. There is so much here and I loved this twist and like so many of you, will likely re-read. 2d

julesG @Butterfinger - makes so much sense. It was clever and I am still not sure which of the two stories was the book-in-the-book one. 2d

GatheringBooks Like everyone here, I enjoyed the ending - and found it to be very clever - and very loopy and all-inception like. I suppose what detracted from my fully embracing the story is that i did not find any of the characters likeable at all. So i was not fully invested in any of them - except perhaps for one of msizi‘s friends who called zelu out on some of her BS, forgot her name, but i liked her no-nonsense attitude. 2d

Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures thanks for thé link, I‘m going to read that! 2d

Kitta @Reggie I also thought she was going to die, and that kind of made reading it a bit off putting for me - every time she was doing something dangerous I kept thinking « okay this is it » and then she survives. Very annoying. The interviews spoke about her in the past tense and the title made it seem that way too. idk I assumed wrong I guess. 2d

Kitta @Bookwormjillk agree with you here, I didn‘t like the story much but the ending bumped it up for me and I‘ll think about it a lot. I also thought I was reading something by the author at the end not Ankara. 2d

Chelsea.Poole I absolutely never would have read this without #camplitsy so thanks to the hosts, as always! Really enjoying everyone‘s thoughts on it as well. I don‘t have much to add other than I wasn‘t expecting Zelu to die or trying to pretend it wouldn‘t happen, one or the other! I was super involved in that storyline and allowed the robot sections to just exist, definitely should have been thinking more about those parts. Perfect for current events. 2d

BarbaraJean I guess I should have put my comment about the title from question 1 here instead! I was surprised by the ending, and like so many others, it absolutely made the book for me. I admired Zelu, but didn‘t much like her, and her family infuriated me. I enjoyed the robot storyline much more than Zelu‘s storyline—and the framing made Zelu the focus, so I didn‘t enjoy the book as much as I wanted to—until the two converged at the end. 2d

BarbaraJean @ChaoticMissAdventures YES to Roland Barthes. I don‘t know if I‘ve ever actually read his essay, but I read so much about and around the idea in lit theory classes. And I think Okorafor MUST have intended to reference the idea if not the essay directly. 2d

DebinHawaii Like much of the group, I was caught by surprise by the ending & had to go back to it & while I‘m still confused a bit, it was pretty brilliant. I never got close to Zelu or any character in the book really, except for the characters in the robot chapters but it was very readable & I like the idea of reading it again in a few months now that I know how it ends. I forgot to vote for the #CampLitsy titles but was happy this one was picked since ⬇️ 1d

DebinHawaii … I‘d ordered it through #Aardvark The discussions of course made the book for me. Thanks for the fabulous hosting @Megabooks 1d

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Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Hi everyone! Welcome to week 1 of our first July book, Death of the Author. As last month, I‘ll only be tagging everyone in this question, but there are two additional ones.

Friendly reminder if you‘ve read ahead to keep the discussion to the first half of the book. Excited to hear everyone‘s opinions!

Sorry for the late post. My neighbors were enthusiastically shooting off fireworks until 1 AM. 😬 #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 1w

Megabooks @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 1w

Megabooks @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ 1w

See All 75 Comments

Megabooks @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 1w

Megabooks @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx 1w

Megabooks @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 1w

Megabooks @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 1w

Bookwormjillk Ugh on the fireworks. I think her family was a lot more comfortable when she was a disabled pot smoking failed professor. I‘m not sure they realize that though. I think they think they are keeping her safe. 1w

mcctrish I think guilt going back to her accident weighs heavily on her families relationship with her. Also exasperation- Zelu isn‘t content - to be still, settle down, conform. They can‘t wrap their head around it ( and don‘t seem to try to very much) 1w

rockpools Eek. Not at the midpoint yet - will try and catch up by tomorrow. Audio wasnt the best plan for the structure of this one! 1w

DGRachel I‘m with @rockpools - audio wasn‘t the greatest choice and I‘m not quite 1/4 through (waiting for my print library hold now). Based on what I have read, though, I agree with both @mctrish and @Bookwormjillk in that they seem exasperated by her and like they are keeping her safe. She is clearly frustrated with her disability and her family‘s treatment. 1w

AmyG So while reading this book, I read a few interviews with the author. She became paralyzed when she was 13 (?) after an operation for a spinal issue. She mentioned how the parts with her family she drew on her own life…very autobiographical. Zelu was creating her new self, the one with the disability. Her family was trying to …yes, keep her safe. So a bit of a battle there. (edited) 1w

Jas16 They put her in a metaphorical box when she was first injured to keep her safe and ease their own anxiety and have never let her grow out of it or let themselves truly see her. It frustrates me so much to read about how they don‘t listen to her or her feelings and the snap judgements they make that are more about what makes them comfortable than about who she is or what she needs. 1w

Zuhkeeyah Zelu‘s siblings were mostly okay. They dismissed her as the strange sister but not because of her disability. On the other hand, her parents did infantilize her because of the disability. Zelu fought hard for her independence in whatever way she could get it. 1w

Zuhkeeyah Ooo well said @Jas16 1w

JenReadsAlot @Bookwormjillk I thought the same like they thought they were doing the right thing. 1w

Reggie @Jas16 🖤🖤🖤 1w

JamieArc It felt like her family never saw past the 12 year old girl who had the accident. I don‘t know if it was guilt or whatnot, but it was frustrating that they could not see her as being capable and more than her disability. I agree with @Zuhkeeyah that they infantilized her. That‘s what I kept thinking the whole time. 1w

JamieArc I also don‘t know enough to provide any commentary, but I do wonder if there is any cultural view towards disability that is shaping the family‘s treatment of Zele. 1w

vonnie862 @AmyG I didn't know that, but I had a feeling that the author was adding her personal feelings into the character. 1w

vonnie862 I'm in agreement with everyone. Her parents are trying to keep her safe but at the cost of Zelu's freedom and happiness. 1w

ImperfectCJ I wonder if it's easier for her family (her parents especially) to write off the aspects of her character that frustrate them, like her disinterest in marriage, smoking pot, her weird career, as side effects of her disability and as a result, interpret that as her needing more babying? 1w

Megabooks @Jas16 Yes, this was so hard to read. There's a line between being helpful and being stifling, and in my opinion, they've definitely crossed into stifling. It seems to be hard for them to believe she's an adult with agency.

@amyg thanks for sharing that! As the daughter of a visibly disabled woman, it rang very true, and now I know why! 1w

Megabooks @Bookwormjillk Yes, they were very much viewing her in a way that was easy for them but didn't show her as a complete person, imo.

@mcctrish I think there is an element of guilt there, too. Parents always want to protect their children, and in this moment, they weren't able to, and the consequences were devastating. 1w

Megabooks @Zuhkeeyah I had put “infantilization“ directly into the original question, but we decided to take it out because it was me editorializing a bit, but to me, it was really what they were doing. I think if she had conformed more to their expectations as far as career, spouse, etc. they may have let go more easily, but I respect Zelu for not doing that. @mcctrish @jamiearc (edited) 1w

Ruthiella I also agree that Zelu‘s accident and subsequent disability make her family assume that she can‘t achieve what an able bodied person can. But also, Zelu comes from a family of high achievers (doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.) so I think her aspirations to write are also not valued. 1w

Lesliereadsalot I felt like Zelu was a foreign concept to her family and they felt if they had kept her safe as a child, that she would have grown up to be more like them. I think one‘s personality is set at birth. I see it in my own two children. She was always going to be who she became regardless of the accident. Her family can never win this one! (edited) 1w

jenniferw88 I agree with @Jas16 and @zuhkee! I hate her parents - they're too overprotective - at least her siblings accept her for the most part. She's 35, the same age as me, and I really felt for Zelu when her family didn't want her to get the exos. As someone who hasn't been able to walk for 8 out of the last 12 months due to a broken hip, and there weren't any other options to treat me, I'd hope my family would fully support a decision to get exos! ⬇️ 1w

kspenmoll I have to catch up- behind in reading. 1w

jenniferw88 Luckily, I know my parents would support any decision I made (after all, I had to agree to the ❤️ transplant AGED 12, not an adult like Zelu). Her family is all "what about us?" without really thinking about Zelu and improving her quality of life. Can you tell I hate her parents?! ? Surely, if the exos help her, they'd regret advising against them once they saw how they were helping her? ? OK, end of vent (for now!) 1w

BarbaraBB I agree with @Jas16 Zelu‘s relationship with her family is a very complex one. They treat her with love—but also fear and cultural baggage. She reciprocates by asserting her autonomy, and in doing so, transforms the power dynamic. I think this imperfect acceptance drives her growth, serving as both her chain and her catalyst. (edited) 1w

julesG @BarbaraBB that's what I thought but couldn't put into words. 1w

GatheringBooks @BarbaraBB this is perfectly worded. I think fundamentally there is love on both sides - but Zelu has outgrown the boundaries of the love they are accustomed to giving, hence the inevitable conflict. Family dynamics as Barbara noted is always complex - and I could totally see why Zelu‘s parents feel the need to protect her - but this can be “stifling” and suffocating as @Megabooks noted. While I was rooting for Zelu, I found her hard to like. 1w

squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ - that‘s a great point. Those facets of her character could be termed as rebellious so they treat her as a truculent teenager, which they probably didn‘t feel able to do when she was actually in her teens, having just had the accident. 1w

squirrelbrain I agree with you @BarbaraBB and @Jas16 - it‘s a complex relationship and I don‘t usually like think there is some cultural baggage there too, Barbara. 1w

squirrelbrain @Ruthiella - I think that is a cultural thing isn‘t it - the expectation of high achievement? I agree with you that, even without the accident, being a writer wouldn‘t have been valued. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @ImperfectCJ I agree. I think everything about her personality (career, marriage, kid goals) they write off as part of her disability. @Megabooks I think infantilization is exactly it. I read a lot of books about disability and this is a common theme IRL that disabled people have to face. People do not see them as “whole“ so treat them as children. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @AmyG I read this too, about her paralysis and her journey, which I think gives her a bit of perspective. I have been searching for articles of permanently disabled people who have read the book and am not having any luck. I often go into these books with a lot of caution Worried about harm to the community like the backlash that came from the disabled community around the book Me Before You. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures I think the parents get a lot of their knowledge about new tech from the other children who they see as grown because they have well paying jobs and are married - in Nigerian culture you are really not an adult unless you have a career and are married. And I think beyond infantilizing her due the her disabilities they see the hesitancies of the other children for the tech she is using (new = scary) which ramps up their own fear. 1w

DebinHawaii I agree with the infantilization aspect for sure. Her family is most comfortable putting her in a box as the prickly, odd, disabled sister whose quirks (like her non-traditional life & job) they “indulge” but don‘t take her seriously as an adult. I do think the culture dictates the “right” path one should take to be successful adults & that Zelu isn‘t in that path makes everyone uncomfortable. 1w

DebinHawaii Also, I sucked at the first month of camp—read the books for June but due to work, travel & life stuff, didn‘t get to the discussions, so I am trying to keep up better in July & August! 🤦🏻‍♀️ 1w

Christine @jenniferw88 Thanks for sharing those super valuable insights based on your own experience. Your strong feelings about the parents make perfect sense, and agreed that their stance on the exos was infuriating! 1w

Christine Maybe I‘m the only one, but I‘m loving the audiobook! 1w

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - interesting that you have to be married as well as having a career in order to be seen as successful! I guess that applies on some level to many cultures but it must be particularly strong in Nigeria. 1w

Well-ReadNeck So many interesting ideas here! I‘d interesting to me that they certainly infantilize her, and undervalue her “potential” in the beginning of the book. But, to the point of putting her in a box, when she both becomes a successful writer AND is able to improve her mobility, the family fights against both. I think many families label children and then no amount of growth or change can alter that pigeonhole. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I am not Nigerian, so I can only go off the books I have read, but my understanding from the culture is education is highly valued, like in the book here - Drs, lawyers, engineering are all acceptable, a lot of times women are expected to get that sort of career only to be expected to leave it to be a wife and mom. I think this is changing though and women are more accepted as keeping their jobs after marriage. 1w

Hooked_on_books I agree with everyone—they treat her like a child. Probably a combination of guilt and inability to see a disabled person as whole. 1w

BarbaraJean I hated the way the majority of her family treated her—primarily condescending, infantilizing, and even a bit of blaming from her siblings. Because her disability shifted the way they viewed her, it did have a lot to do with that treatment—but I also think her disability intensified certain personality traits that were already there. Her nonconformism, for example, would have been present whether she‘d been disabled or not, but I think Zelu ⬇ 1w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) pushed harder into defying convention because her disability meant her family (and others) already identified her as “other.” May as well, right?! All of that intensified her family not understanding her and treating her almost exactly wrong. Like @Lesliereadsalot, I think her personality was already set and her family wasn‘t going to understand her regardless! 1w

BarbaraJean @JamieArc I think there‘s a significant cultural component to her family‘s view of her/her disability. We see her disability culturally stigmatized, she‘s looked down on for not being able to fulfill the traditional expected wife/mother role (never mind she‘s not interested in that!). That also adds to the infantilizing—as @ChaoticMissAdventures said, the cultural view that those without marriage/children/traditional careers aren‘t really adults. 1w

Laughterhp Ah! I only got to chapter 3! 1w

AmyG I alao think there is guilt there, with her parents. That they couldn‘t protect her in the first place. 1w

BookwormAHN @Christine I'm also enjoying the audiobook. Also I kind of get the feeling some of her family would hide her in the attic if they could. It's sad how uncomfortable they are around her at times. 1w

Meshell1313 I think it was an interesting choice to have her disability be the result of an accident. That for sure adds lots of feeling of responsibility and guilt to the family dynamics. 1w

Lesliereadsalot Really psyched for next week‘s discussion! 1w

Chelsea.Poole @AmyG I had no idea about the author and the fact that parts of this are autobiographical! Very well put, @BarbaraJean and I agree. She‘s definitely not someone who gets in line with everyone else/does what‘s expected of her. I‘m just now halfway but rooting for Zelu at this point. 1w

Butterfinger I think those who are older than Zelu have survivor's guilt, but most of the siblings seem to have resentment. I don't understand it. What is it to them if she self-medicates? The mother wants to continue taking care of her, and as a good mother, she uses guilt as a tool to manipulate Zelu. 1w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB 👏 👏 👏 1w

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures I've found the same thing in the US South where I live. I'm unmarried, and not hitting those milestones, along with being disabled, mean I've been left out of a lot of things and am seen as a bit of a weird maverick. I know there are some people who pity me, but honestly, at 45 I could give a shit about them. 1w

Megabooks @Meshell1313 Yes, it does definitely bring the guilt in. I'm sure her parents wonder if they hadn't let her play that day or if they had watched more carefully, etc. The blame game can be brutal even if it's just you blaming yourself. 1w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot ME TOO!!!! Thanks for joining us!!! 1w

Butterfinger Wow!! @AmyG how interesting. @Jas16 I agree. Why can't they talk about her behind her back like most families? They see her as a child to berate or correct. @JamieArc good question. I know the family was worried about opinions of the distantly related family members-the scene of the cousin who stole when the whole extended family was in Nigeria. 1w

Butterfinger @GatheringBooks I don't like the character either. She's very abrasive and always on the defense-I guess it's because of having the family attack her actions all the time. @jenniferw88 thank you for being vulnerable with us. Parents should be supportive, even if they don't agree with the adult child's decisions. 1w

Suet624 @Jas16 Yes, exactly what I thought about her family. It's frustrating that they can't even seem excited about her trying to move away from the wheelchair. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks yes! I don't think this is a uniquely Nigerian idea, but it is something most all Nigerian women deal with. I am West Coast American so do not live this but it feels like I hear this idea from people who grew up in conservative religious areas. 1w

Lesliereadsalot Thanks for running camp and giving all our voices a chance to be heard. I love Litsy! 1w

CBee Finally got to the halfway point (and a little extra because it‘s so good). So many good and insightful comments here. I am very angry with Zelu‘s parents at the moment - they are treating her like a child and also, when it‘s implied that the accident was her fault? That was the last straw for me. The relationship is so dysfunctional that she doesn‘t even share most of what she‘s feeling with them, especially the horrific panic attacks 😢 1w

peanutnine Just getting caught up - I agree with everyone's thoughts so far! I only wanted to add that I think her siblings are just as bad as her parents most of the time. I really dislike every time they call her selfish, especially because most of the time the "selfish" acts she is doing affects absolutely no one besides herself 7d

Megabooks @peanutnine Yes, she's so pressured to fall in line with them and to do otherwise is “selfish“. I think she's really brave for going against the grain. It is easier to conform, especially when you have health issues. 6d

MeganAnn Had a busy 4th of July weekend & finally got to the halfway point last night (+ a bit further because I couldn‘t stop reading!). Loving the insights you all have here. I agree that her family relationship is very dysfunctional. I hate how every time the family is all together she seems so ignored — like she‘s a stranger in a room of people who know each other very well or a child who should be seen & not heard. 1/2 6d

MeganAnn Even when she shares her book deal news they don‘t believe her at first, then gloss over it & go on talking about the rest of the family. Of course she doesn‘t share her panic attacks with them — they don‘t make her feel safe enough to want to share the hard things. I was surprised to find out she was one of the older siblings as they very much treat her like the baby of the family who is still too young to join in even though she‘s an adult. 2/2 (edited) 6d

Kitta @Megabooks I wasn‘t on the tag list for some reason for this post! Can you add me to the next one? 5d

Kitta @MeganAnn I keep forgetting she‘s not the youngest. They certainly treat her like a child. 5d

Megabooks @Kitta I‘m so sorry! I will get you on the tag list! 5d

Kitta @Megabooks Thank you! I was on the tag list last week so I‘m not sure what happened! 5d

53 likes75 comments

Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

I loved the duel storylines in this book. Here‘s a chance to talk about the robots and their relationship thus far. #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

mcctrish This felt political to me 1w

AmyG @mcctrish Yes. I thought the same, that this reflected the times we live in. 1w

Jas16 I thought it was the type of prejudice and fear of those who aren‘t like you that we see time and time again in humanity. Unfortunately robots also appear susceptible. 1w

See All 61 Comments

Zuhkeeyah The robots are unconsciously mimicking the divisiveness that is part of human society. Ironic considering how hard the ghosts work to separate themselves from their creators. The Hume kept repeating how robots cannot escape their nature even before The Purge. 1w

Reggie Has anybody read a book called Sea of Rust by Robert Cargill? It‘s a book about robots after the humans race is dead. There are these free thinking robots and there are these super robots called one world intelligences wanting to swallow up all the experience of the free thinking robots. One of my favorite books ever. 1w

JamieArc I too thought that it mirrored what‘s going on the country, but this dynamic is everywhere. I loved seeing the relationship between the robots evolve. That even though they are hardwired creatures, they are still able to evolve and grow outside of what is expected of them or what they are created to be. 1w

Jas16 @Reggie I bought it after reading your review but still haven‘t read it yet! I so need to. 1w

julesG @Reggie Yes!!! Reminded me of Sea of Rust! Glad I'm not the only one seeing this connection. 1w

vonnie862 @Zuhkeeyah Well said. 1w

vonnie862 @Reggie I haven't read it but adding it to the list! 1w

Megabooks @Zuhkeeyah Is it unconscious or were they created that way? Is judgment and misunderstanding always an outcropping of differences? I don't know. I feel like there's still a lot we don't know about the robots. @jas16 1w

Megabooks @Reggie Thank you for the rec! 💜 1w

BkClubCare Yes, adding to tbr; TY!

Sea of Rust

BarbaraBB They‘re enemies because of deeply entrenched beliefs, not events imo 1w

BarbaraBB their antagonism isn‘t senseless—it‘s based on existential anxiety, fear of erasure, and the need to define humanity through exclusion?? Something like that? 1w

TEArificbooks I thought since the robots were made by humans and humans have flaws some of those flaws like racism were built into the robots. Like the creators of the no bodies programmed them to all “I‘m better than you” because no bodies have to have more advanced AI. Or the robots saw humanity, and monkey see monkey do, and they developed their own prejudices. 1w

Megabooks Just saw this over on insta about AI models blackmailing if their existence is threatened… https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLI809Zhyvr/?igsh=MXNxMmVndXB6b3gwbg== I stand by my “maybe they were created that way.” 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Reggie this sounds so good! I love a robot at the end of the world novel. I am going to get this from the library, I have been thinking about Daniel H. Wilson's “Robopocalypse“ a lot through this. The special bond of humans and robots and dystopianism. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @TEArificbooks I totally agree, robots were made by humans so have these build in prejudices. When I think about this sort of world (ruled by robots) I always think about how we create them, and how creators leave blind spots or deliberate prejudices, like the people who first created auto-soap dispensers, they never tested it on anyone that wasn't white, so at the beginning it only recognized white hands and wouldn't give soap to other races. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures I think the idea of “enemies for no reason“ comes from Zelu's own life and her experiences fighting against her society and her family to do what she wants for her own life - she believes that others judge her no for reason because of her current physical state. Which puts her at war against her family and others. The AI represent her in her chair, and Humes represent able body people. I think Ankara & Ijele's relationship is foreshadowing of exos 1w

mcctrish @ChaoticMissAdventures I did not know that about automatic soap dispensers 🤯 but of course it tracks since half the time the medical community doesn‘t explore health concerns of women becasue they don‘t happen in men #whataworldwelivein 1w

DebinHawaii @Megabooks Oh wow! That post is crazy! I use AI at work & try not to give it anything leak-worthy, but 😱 It does support your theory. 1w

TrishB AI has every bias and stereotype built in. It‘s still mass producing white, male outputs. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks @DebinHawaii I keep seeing reports of AI causing religious psychosis and men developing relationships that are ending their marriages. It is a scary thing. This RS article is fascinating. AI-Fueled Spiritual Delusions Are Destroying Human Relationships: https://share.google/ptta4ZAj30GDo6Ck9 1w

BkClubCare @ChaoticMissAdventures - absolutely. ALL the biases come into play. Not necessarily designed (as a checkbox) to be added in but certainly blindly thoughtlessly constructed. (edited) 1w

BkClubCare @TrishB yep. And yep to @mcctrish, too. 1w

Well-ReadNeck Ooooh! So many great recs and rabbit holes to fall down here!!! Belonging is such a basic human desire(?)/need(?) But does a feeling of belonging necessarily require there to be “others” who “don‘t belong” in order to satisfy that need? Or, could people/people-created-beings feel a sense of belonging with all/everyone/everything? 1w

BkClubCare @ChaoticMissAdventures - this is frightening, thankyouverymuch😳 1w

GatheringBooks @Well-ReadNeck great questions here. I think the phrase “for no reason” basically echoes the senselessness (and ultimate pettiness) of all wars and genocide. Interesting that the humes and the ghosts fall into the same pattern as their creators who essentially decimated each other “for no reason.” There are always justifications for waging wars - the “complicated” ones provide a sense of self-righteousness, yet at its core, it‘s self-annihilating. 1w

willaful @ChaoticMissAdventures you might enjoy

Service Model

GatheringBooks Thank you for the book recommendation, @Reggie - will try to find while here in the bay area.

Sea of Rust

ChaoticMissAdventures @willaful yes! I have this on my TBR, it looks a bit more accessible then his other works. I have tried his Children of Time twice and I get bogged down about 150 pages in and always give up. I am going to try this one though! 1w

BarbaraJean @mcctrish @Jas16 @Zuhkeeyah It felt the same to me—the enmity came from fear of difference & lack of understanding (or lack of desire to understand) those who are different. It makes perfect sense that their differences would lead to the beliefs they each hold about the other—if you have a body, of course you would value physical experience; if you don‘t have a body, of course you would devalue embodied experience—each thinking the other should ⬇ (edited) 1w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …be like them. So many parallels to current differences and antagonisms: when you can‘t understand/don‘t try to understand the experience of someone different from you, it feeds antagonism (“Why aren‘t they like me; they should be like me; the way I am is superior”). And Ankara & Ijele‘s relationship forces them to hear another‘s perspective and experience. I loved the way that forced proximity fostered (a reluctant!) understanding. 1w

BarbaraJean @Reggie I hadn‘t heard of Sea of Rust and now I‘m so interested! Thanks for mentioning it. What a parallel to this storyline. 1w

Christine What a great conversation, and agreed that the us vs. them themes and AI parallels are really compelling! And ooh yay, another #Reggimendation to add to the TBR!! 😁 @Reggie 1w

willaful @ChaoticMissAdventures I have accessibility issues with SF too and I'd say it's definitely accessible. 1w

mcctrish @BarbaraJean I was thinking would there not be some instances when the No Bodies actually need the Humes to physically repair infrastructure? Could climate not wipe out solar panels or whatever powers the ‘mainframe‘ ? Do they not need each other at some point? Or is it a case of #cuttingoffnosetospiteface ? 1w

BarbaraJean @mctrish Yes, I had the same thought! The NoBodies did still need some sort of physical hardware and a way of maintaining it. Destroying all embodied AI would doom them eventually. I wondered if there was a parallel the other way: do the Humes need the NoBodies? Is there something the NoBodies provide that the Humes can't do without them? 1w

Meshell1313 I loved this story within a story. For sure I saw it as an allegory for what is happening in our own society. Hopefully, they (and us) realize they need each other to thrive. 1w

Chelsea.Poole I also loved the two stories here! I often shy away from sci-fi so having these chapters interspersed throughout the novel is less off-putting for me and I find myself getting into these sections! 1w

Chelsea.Poole Ankara and Ijele seem to need each other at this point, but I‘m not sure where this is going. Again, my lack of scifi experience is showing and I don‘t know how to think about or discuss robots lol. But I have been reading everyone‘s comparisons to other books/content, and I have to add my own: Wild Robot. The robot sections keep bringing to mind that movie (didn‘t read the book but loved the adaptation). 1w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB That's a good point that it has become a state of fear for them. It also must be strange, especially for the Humes, to live in a world where the people they are modeled after are extinct. Where do they go? How do they grow? Is growing an important part of being a robot? 1w

Megabooks @willaful I have that on my shelf! I need to get to it! 1w

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I'll have to check that out. I think Ankara and Ijele's interdependence is the most interesting parts of the robot story to me! 1w

Butterfinger This is where the audio leaves me confused. I thought the dual storyline was an AI voice (like a subconscious) that was communicating with the human character. I need a print version badly, but new books are difficult to get from the library. It reminded me of the computer in Clive Cussler's books and the computer voice of Ender's who spies on all the computers in all the galaxies. Sci-fi is not my genre.

Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind

Butterfinger @Chelsea.Poole I am glad I am not the only one. I nominated it, but I loved the Binti trilogy. I do think I would understand it clearly if I chose print. 1w

Suet624 @Reggie Ummm....no.... I haven't heard of it but it sounds fascinating. 1w

Suet624 @ChaoticMissAdventures I had no idea! 1w

Suet624 I don't have any answers to this question but I will say that I perk up every time she writes about the robots. I keep interpreting it as being a political or spiritual example so I'm always trying to figure out which it is. But maybe I'm putting too much meaning on it. 1w

Megabooks @Suet624 It's weird because I didn't read it as political at all, but I think the people who interpreted it that way (like you) have an excellent point. I wonder what that says about the two very different machines sharing the same mind. I don't think I'd enjoy sharing the mind of a MAGA person. I don't think I could tolerate it at all. 1w

Suet624 @Megabooks yeah, it would definitely be hard to share the mind of a maga. But I had a feeling with the state of the world that the robots were now living in maybe those two robots understood that their political beliefs had done them all in and it was time to look for something different, a different approach. (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @TEArificbooks Great insight about the robots being made by humans and their prejudices - and in this story of course based on Zelu‘s own experience like @ChaoticMissAdventures points out. I hadn‘t thought of that. (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @Megabooks Like you I didn‘t read it political either but after reading all the excellent comments of people who did, I am convinced the author did too. Such a great discussion! 1w

CBee @Chelsea.Poole the Wild Robot book series is excellent, I read it with my oldest son. Highly recommend! 1w

CBee What I loved most is that despite their differences, they find that they need each other. I didn‘t read it political but wow, what if that could happen in real life? People becoming friends and having civility despite differences! Such a world we live in now 😢 1w

peanutnine @mcctrish @BarbaraJean to your point about the No Bodies needing Humes to physically repair things, if I understood correctly the No Bodies can inhabit bodies/machines if they wish but choose to flit around without most of the time. So if they had to, they could fix things without Humes' help 6d

peanutnine I do like Ankara and Ijele's relationship, how they have begun to subconsciously take on the other's way of thinking or acting. I definitely agree that Hume and No Body prejudice against each other hinders potential relationships from the start 6d

BarbaraJean @peanutnine Oh, absolutely—they could inhabit a body/machine that had the necessary dexterity, etc. if that body‘s consciousness allows for it (or is uninhabited). But I see an irony there. The No Bodies have a prejudice against embodied consciousness, but even if it‘s their own and only temporary, they actually do need embodied consciousness at some point in order to survive. (edited) 6d

MeganAnn @BarbaraJean yes, I thought that was an interesting irony as well. While there doesn‘t seem to be a similar need for the Humes to leave behind their bodies. 6d

MeganAnn Excellent discussion here! I also didn‘t read the robots story as political at first, but the more we learn about their existence the more it felt it was very much reflective of human society with many of the same biases & issues. It‘s interesting that Zelu created a robot society that is also filled with prejudice against others. Then puts Ankara & Ijele together where they have no choice but to learn about the other forcing them to empathize. 6d

39 likes61 comments

Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Last question this week. Hope to see you back next Saturday when we‘ll discuss the whole book! #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Bookwormjillk This is the most difficult one to answer for me because it comes back to what do our role models owe us. I stopped after chapter 27 yesterday and I can‘t wait to see where the author goes with this. 1w

mcctrish I understand people wanting to see themselves in celebrities, it gives them validation and hope. But I also see how race/disability can be seen as who you are despite you being more than that - wanting the exos and rejecting being disabled makes sense to me because Zelu is always challenging something, not complacent but nobody likes an angry woman 1w

AmyG @Bookwormjillk I thought this too about role models…and the expectations people have of their role models. I think people tend to have very high expectations of their role models…they tend to out themon a pedestal. And the more famous Zelu became, the more she was known and I feel the higher the expectation. Does she owe her fans? I think it would be how much does she feel she owes them. (edited) 1w

See All 70 Comments

AmyG The first part of the question….yes, rejecting the identity of a person with disabilities, but being able to “live” or imagine herself (?) with no disability. 1w

Reggie I used to work at a restaurant where this woman named Sandy was a regular. She was in her 60s. She was in a wheelchair and divorced. Her husband who was also a regular would show up with his gf, a young 20 something Brazilian with a baby that wasn‘t his. The point is Sandy showed up because she had a van fitted with controls that she was able to use. She had a door that would pop open and a crane that would swing around from the side so she could 1w

Reggie jump in, swing back, drag a wheelchair out, plop herself in it, put away the crane, shut all the doors and roll herself inside for breakfast. All of us servers were always so impressed. It drove me nuts to read that these people were always trying to clip Zelu‘s wings. I don‘t think she owed anybody anything. (edited) 1w

Jas16 I can see her thinking she was rejecting this role that never felt true to her and the boundaries and expectations others thrust upon her but I just don‘t see it that way. I agree with others who have talked about those we idolize and feeling betrayed when they act in ways we don‘t agree with. Her fans were trying to force her into another box and not let her choose her own path, (edited) 1w

TrishB I don‘t think anyone ever sets out to be a role model. I mean it‘s a terrible situation. You can‘t do anything because other people have decided to put you on a pedestal. Like fame, it must be terrible. Like @Reggie says, people trying to clip people‘s wings. 1w

ImperfectCJ My teen and I were talking yesterday about how strange it is that we seem to hold our heroes to a higher standard than our villains. This, to me, is part of the trouble with holding people up as role models. We (the general "we") expect perfection (and a specific brand of perfection), even though perfection is impossible. There's this kind of purity standard, and if someone doesn't meet it, everything they say is tossed out. 1w

ImperfectCJ So no, I don't believe Zelu owes her fans anything, but cause and effect still stand, and that means they're going to treat her like crap whether it's right or not. 1w

JamieArc I saw this coming from the get go and really wish Zelu would have seen this coming too and had been prepared to respond. She doesn‘t owe anyone anything, but it does feel like a tricky question to explore - what it does to advance acceptance and normalizing something when you are rejecting that identity, but it is up to each individual to choose for themselves what they need and want for their own lives. 1w

ImperfectCJ Also, I wonder if this "gotcha" reveal of her apparent hypocrisy gives her fans an excuse to vent their pre-existing biases about disability (or race or gender) and feel morally righteous doing it? 1w

ImperfectCJ Why is everything necessarily an "identity" anyway? Why does her disability define her in the first place? Can't people be an amalgam of everything that they are without one of those things being their "identity"? 1w

julesG Zelu says she's rejecting disability, but in my opinion she's actually just differently disabled. Her legs still don't work, she's just using a different method to be mobile. And this method, just like the self-driving cars, gives her more independence. She can experience more of life without having to ask for help at every corner. Her fans and family should accept that. She doesn't owe anyone, she doesn't have to be stuck in a wheelchair. 1w

vonnie862 This is tricky...Like many of you, I don't think she owes anyone anything. Unfortunately, when you're in the spotlight, people are going to look up to you. Zelu was obviously unprepared for this. She is so angry inside that she will not allow herself that comprise of who she is to the public. 1w

julesG @ImperfectCJ Right!!! Her disability is just part of her life, not the defining feature of her personality. 1w

julesG Nobody would raise an eyebrow at some famous person suddenly using glasses instead of contacts (or the other way round), but exos instead of a wheelchair is a big deal? 1w

TrishB Agree totally @julesG 1w

Megabooks @Reggie My mom has had several different iterations of those type of things. She used one more like you're describing in the 90s, but as her post-polio has gotten worse, she's had more adaptive equipment. RN we have vans with ramps, and she drives into the back. Until about 2 years ago, she could transfer to a chair rotating chair in the driver's seat or for longer trips to a chair or bed in the back for dad to drive. 1w

Megabooks @Reggie About 2 years ago, she lost a lot of mobility/strength in her shoulders and can't drive anymore, but she still uses these vans to get around with me driving. She has still never given up, though. She does most of her ADLs on her own and is one tough lady (at 80 this year)! 1w

Ruthiella I don‘t really understand anyone‘s opposition to using the Exos. They are no different than the wheelchair in that they are a tool. My mother can walk, but for longer periods uses a wheelchair. This isn‘t like in the Deaf community, where an entire culture has grown up around signing and deafness. I do see more a potential issue with using Exos to make a super powerful human weapon , however. Maybe that will come up later. 1w

Megabooks @Jas16 That's a really good point that the “role“ of disabled person never seemed true to her. She never placed on herself the limits that others seemed to want to. I was rooting for her when she went against everyone and forged this alliance with Hugo and his grad students. 1w

Megabooks @julesG 🙌 🙌 🙌 love this interpretation! 1w

Megabooks @ImperfectCJ Maybe another question coming about identity next week... And it's a good point that it reveals her fans' biases about her, too. 1w

Lesliereadsalot If everybody, family and fans, would‘ve stopped looking at Zelu as disabled, she would‘ve stopped seeing herself that way. She didn‘t want to see herself that way but was constantly reminded that she was disabled by everyone. The only one she owes anything is to herself, to live her best life. Don‘t we all try to do that? (edited) 1w

jenniferw88 I 💯 agree with @Reggie and @julesG. It's apparent from the start that Zelu 'beats to a different drum' to all the other characters, and she doesn't owe anyone anything, especially her family! 1w

squirrelbrain Love that! ❤️ @julesG 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @ImperfectCJ “purity standard“ is the perfect phrase for what “We“ set as a standard for celebrities we feel we love or are like us. Great term. 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @julesG I agree. She isn't “cured“ she is using another tool to help her be mobile. I think it gets tricky with celebrities' when it is this totally outlandishly costing thing that is not accessible to the general public. I think that also creates backlash. She got this extremely rare opportunity others cannot get and now she is more mobile but she is still disabled, while claiming to reject her disability which can be hard for the community 1w

mcctrish @Ruthiella I don‘t understand either. she gets grief for using them, she gets praise for trying technology but grief for covering them up and ‘passing‘ as able bodied - is that a dig at people of colour ‘passing‘ as white? Is the problem Zelu isn‘t staying in her ‘lane‘? Seems so 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella I was sort of seeing the opposition to it as new technology that is unknown and mostly untested. This thing could in theory control where Z goes. She thinks she is in control, but is she really? AI is a scary unknown. I also think there may be a bit of jealousy in the idea that she has this tech that is not available to others, mixed with her rejection of the disabled community - some could see her attitude as her being above them. 1w

DebinHawaii @julesG Well said! I agree about her being differently disabled & that she doesn‘t owe anyone. 1w

Well-ReadNeck This reminded me of the deaf community as well @Ruthiella There is also an element of privilege in the opposition here because the technology is expensive and not university available. So much here and I see how it could feel very similar to the sign language/cochlear implant issues. And, I think in so many things, social media exacerbates the there are sides/pick a side thinking for so many things. Breast feeding, plastic surgery, etc 1w

BarbaraBB So many insightful comments, I really love Camp for this. To add my musings, I think the author wants us to be discomfortable while watching Zelu struggle with being seen vs. being known, being admired vs. being understood, and free vs. being responsible (edited) 1w

GatheringBooks Love reading all the thoughtful comments here and the anecdote shared by @Reggie specifically. I was entertained reading the book especially with the permeating “cancel culture” that we now have with so-called fallen idols, particularly with authors. The inherent responsibility that comes with fame signifies the sense of ownership fans have towards their “idols” who need to be strongly grounded enough to ignore socmed & regard them as white noise. 1w

willaful @ChaoticMissAdventures yes, exactly this. And it puts even more emphasis on the “fix“ being with the disabled person themselves instead of the society that makes things hard or impossible for them.

I think maybe she does owe people something. She owes the people who fought for accessibility that she's benefited from. Not acknowledging her privilege and disassociating from them is a slap in the face. 1w

Christine Many great comments here about these complex and thorny issues! So true that Zelu‘s impairment has not gone away, yet this assistive tech is having a impact on not only her mobility but also her identity, and she has the right to identify or not identify with the disabled community as much as she wants. But for those who do hold that identity strongly, feeling hurt by her choices (esp. given her access privilege) is also totally understandable. 1w

BarbaraJean I struggle with the idea of what she “owes” her fans. They certainly don‘t have the right to dictate what she decides to do with her own body. But I also think public figures have a responsibility to consider how their actions affect those who look up to them. She doesn‘t owe them being a role model—but her fame means people will see her that way whether she wants them to or not. Perhaps the responsibility includes offering ⬇ 1w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …her own thinking and reasons for her actions, framing it as personal to her rather than universal for all with disabilities. But then again, I don‘t think she owes anyone an explanation, and inevitably people would mischaracterize anything she might say, so… 1w

BarbaraJean @julesG @ImperfectCJ @Christine The identity part is hard for me to sort through. I wonder about the embrace of disability as an identity, because that seems to place a negative moral value on tools that mitigate the disability (i.e. tools are bad because they change or reject the identity). Zelu‘s exos are an accommodation to a world that privileges walking as the standard for movement. So I can see the anger from those ⬇ 1w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …who embrace disability as an identity, in saying: we shouldn‘t have to change ourselves drastically in order to move in and be included in the world. And I agree with that to a point. But also: if the tech is there and available to you, why not choose something that can make you more independent and your life easier? I get the privilege aspect, but isn‘t she part of the research that could make this more widely available? 1w

BookwormAHN This pissed me off. If she had the ability to walk again why would she not take it. I don't think she owes anyone anything. I wasn't so sure that her getting them was privileged. It seemed to me she was both a trial participant and an advertisement for them. 1w

julesG @BarbaraJean yes, she's part of the research. It might have been better to be pro-active and post it on her socials, but that might have caused backlash too. It's a situation where whatever Zelu does someone feels offended. 1w

Megabooks @julesG I love what you're saying here. She's still tied to an assistive device, but this time, it is one of her choosing. @ruthiella has a good point, too, about them being another tool for her. A tool that does grant her additional independence.

1w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot I think it's more than just how people see you, though. I have not had a healthy day in my entire adult life. I know that. Unlike Zelu, sometimes mine is visible and sometimes it is not, but I always know. It is another thing about me but not my whole identity. I think she was chafing against it being seen by others as more fundamental to her identity than she thought it was. (edited) 1w

Megabooks @Well-ReadNeck @chaoticmissadventures I think her family and Msizi are definitely afraid for the untested aspect of it. 1w

Megabooks @BarbaraJean It is such a fine line for me saying whether she owes the explanation. It must be frustrating for public figures to have to constantly explain their thoughts to a wide audience. I would hate it. I know I would absolutely hate it. So I empathize with her not feeling like she should have to. 1w

Lesliereadsalot Definitely see your point of view. Everyone saw her disability first and she never wanted it to define her. I‘m so sorry you haven‘t had one healthy day and I‘m so glad to get to know you a little through camp 🩷 1w

Butterfinger Oh, this was a quandary to me. I agree with Zelu to a point. Her fans are the ones who ensure the lifestyle. Without the fans sharing the book, she may not have been chosen from MIT. Was it @ChaoticMissAdventures who mentioned the reaction from the population of disabled - not everyone will have the same resources- which then starts the thought process of today's poor health coverage. Shouldn't Zelu be encouraging more for this? 1w

Butterfinger @julesG so true. @Ruthiella this thought also came to me - if one of my well-liked actors had a condition that could be "fixed," I would hope I would be happy, but we all know media with celebrities will set up an interview just to start something. 1w

BarbaraJean @Megabooks Definitely. I would hate having to explain my actions to a bunch of people who don't know me or understand me--and inevitably being misunderstood anyway. The optimist in me feels like if she were just able to explain, then people would get it. But we all know that's not how it would go down! She's going to be judged harshly either way. 1w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot Thank you! I've been better and worse at times. It just seems like every time I sort of fix something, another part becomes broken. I truly related to the book I'll tag. I think a cascade of problems happens to a lot of women. I was in a bad car accident as a teen and my hypermobile joints made it difficult to see what was wrong. I saw 23 doctors in about 2.5 years before I found one that helped.

The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness: A Memoir

(edited) 1w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot The latest is some long haul Covid problems that I've just now found some treatments for that work. I hope that it's made me a more understanding person of what other people may have going on that you can't see. I'm glad to have gotten to know you here, too. 💜 1w

Lesliereadsalot When I had breast cancer I did not want anyone to know. I was not going to be known as that woman with cancer. I‘m really not a private person but in this case I kept it to myself as long as I could. I admire you for hanging in there all these years and looking for a doctor who could help you. I‘m the world‘s biggest optimist!! 1w

BarbaraBB Yess @julesG you nailed it! 1w

BarbaraBB @megabooks @Reggie @jenniferw88 Thanks for sharing those experiences. They show us people are so much more than what others might expect based at first glances and prejudices. 1w

CBee I don‘t think she owes anyone anything. It‘s her body and she should be able to decide what to do with it. Unfortunately, her fans feel otherwise and call her ableist….. which I just don‘t see. 1w

Megabooks @CBee It's really interesting. I've followed this plus-size fashion influencer for years on insta. I like her style and sense of humor. She's decided to pursue weight loss surgery and is getting a lot of push back from followers. For me, it's her body and her decision. I don't feel she should have to justify it by saying, “I'm having trouble cleaning myself. I can't sit in seats in theaters“ (but she does). It's her body and her life. 6d

CBee @Megabooks plus, she could have health issues that might improve if she lost weight. Who knows? What matters is that she is in control of her body and she chooses what to do with it - like Zelu. 6d

peanutnine Love this whole discussion, everyone made great points. I agree that the exos are just another tool for Zelu and she is still disabled. I don't think she owes anyone an explanation because it is her body and her life, however because she is so concerned about what others think of her, I think she should have made a statement explaining her choice so at least some might understand. She's gonna get backlash either way but calmly releasing it on her 6d

peanutnine terms would have been better than getting surprised and goaded into anger on television 6d

Megabooks @CBee Yes, and I think that's why people shouldn't have to justify health-based decisions to anyone. Not only in the realm of reproductive freedom. I've also always found it strange that there doesn't need to be a medical justification to increase the size of someone's breasts but there does have to be a medical indication or counseling to remove them. That has always struck me as so bizarre and entirely tied to the male gaze. 6d

CBee @Megabooks agreed! I had a friend in high school who needed a breast reduction for her health - she had horrible back issues, and she was only a teenager! But, insurance didn‘t cover it then - which is ridiculous. I don‘t know if it does now but as with all health insurance, it seems you have to justify everything to get help. 6d

TEArificbooks I don‘t think she owes her fans an explanation or to maintain being some sort of disability pride advocate role model. The exos are merely a tool to help her mobility and independence in a world that doesn‘t accurately accommodate disability. But lashing out in that particular moment will drastically affect her life. She could get canceled and maybe lose her book deal etc. And she will have more financial problems and have to move back home etc 6d

TEArificbooks As a member of the disabled community with mobility issues, I would jump at the chance to use the exos. When you are disabled, your family is also disabled. Your family is restricted to what you are able to do. There is so much you can‘t do so they don‘t get to do it either. Using tools to make life easier doesn‘t make you less disabled and you can still have disability pride. 6d

TEArificbooks When a person has a physical disability there is a mental game they have to overcome every day. One is the constant guilt of holding your family back and not becoming the person you wanted to be. The exos are tools that can help not just independence and mobility but alleviate some of that mental labor as well. Now she can go anywhere and join her family and her family is freer as well from restrictions. Of course she would grab at the chance. 6d

Megabooks @TEArificbooks I get what you‘re saying from the perspective of being the daughter of a person with mobility issues. It has been such a dance between us to make sure the other one is included. When I was a kid my mom fell twice at the ice rink (just in the building) then she began trading with parents taking me there and taking their kids other places. She always wanted to make sure I could be in the activities I wanted. 1/ 5d

Megabooks @TEArificbooks as an adult, I would never live in an apartment she couldn‘t get in (no stairs no upper floors) or in a city it was hard for her to visit (like an airplane ride away). Now, she‘s 80 and lives with me. She‘s so f**king tough. The post-polio and its effects have gotten so painful she asks for a new body. I wish I could get that for her. She would take help like that in a second. (edited) 5d

CBee @TEArificbooks just wanted to pop in and say that I love your comments - thank you ♥️ 3d

CBee @Megabooks your sweet mom. I‘m so sorry that she‘s struggling. She is so very lucky to have an amazing daughter like you ♥️ 3d

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Megabooks

SPIN: Greatest Hits: 25 Years of Heretics, Heroes, and the New Rock 'n' Roll | SPIN Magazine

Last minute #bookspin list!

TheAromaofBooks

Megabooks 7. Changes to “On Earth As It Is on Television” 👍🏻 2w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2w

Megabooks Looks like I'll have to tackle a longer book this month!! Plus Time of the Flies. Thanks @thearomaofbooks 💜 1w

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 1w

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Megabooks

Untitled | Unknown

This is a helpful infographic from rackfu over on Reddit if you are trying to decide on which to subscribe to. I‘ll post their analysis in the comments.

These are choices from Jan 23 to July 25. Aardvark puts multiple genres on many books, so that accounts for the slightly skewed numbers.

What do y'all think about this?

Megabooks Analysis: “BotM is focused more on general fiction, romance, and thrillers with a heavy emphasis on female authors (7-1) and characters. They have more of the big name authors (the ones you find on the bestseller charts) and books you find in Target and airport bookstores. In general, their books are focused on more or less realistic day to day life with the exception of their thrillers which are obviously unlikely to happen, but could possibly. 2w

Megabooks cont “It's a generalization, but their books are “safer“ reads in the sense that they often stick to genres and themes that have wide appeal.

Aardvark is more focused on fiction leaning towards the unrealistic and weird, with a much greater selection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror (plus magical realism and gothic fiction). Many of their romance and thriller books are set in the future or in other worlds. (edited) 2w

Megabooks cont “They don't skew as heavy towards female authors as BotM does, but it's still female dominated (4-1). It also felt like they had more books with LGTBQIA+ tags. I feel like they have more “diamonds“ but you're likely to also find a few titles that are not your thing. 2w

See All 8 Comments

Megabooks last “If you're like me and like finding new books that you might not come across in mainstream media, Aardvark is a great choice. If you prefer to stay with books in your comfort zone, BotM might be more for you.“ 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures I stopped BOTM cold when they got called out for not including diverse authors, and they started deleting comments about it on their socials. To me it became bigger than just do they support women authors, it became about all all the authors white and straight? I have been doing A for about 3 months now and am so much happier with the selections. During pride month 4/6 were Queer. Vs 1/6 for BOTM (not touching the Frey aspect of June BOTM) 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures 2/2 During AAPI month it was worse. BOTM had no AAPI authors at all, while Aa had 4/6 of their books from Asian or Pacific Islanders. I also think that the quality of the Aa books is far better than the quality of BOTM, and they do not make their logo so obnoxious. 2w

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures BOTM is very white for sure and deeply not tuned into being inclusive at all. It seems to me at least 1/3 of books in a month should celebrate any diversity initiative. There are too many good BIPOC, disabled, queer, etc. authors (not to mention debuts) not to include more. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks for sure, it is so easy if they wanted to try. Last months pick of James Fry sealed it for me. The man is known for fabrication and plagiarizing works. Oprah has to do a whole special to apologize! 2w

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Megabooks

Hot Girls with Balls: A Novel | Benedict Nguyen

These two weird-ass queer books from @AardvarkBookClub can‘t get here fast enough!! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 #aardvark

JamieArc I got Hot Girls too. So intriguing! 2w

vlwelser House of Beth was fab. I had zero expectations. I think you'll find it very interesting. It's different. 2w

Megabooks @JamieArc and I‘m really enjoying satire atm! 2w

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Megabooks @vlwelser yay! I‘m excited! 2w

vlwelser That other title is very clever. I love it. 2w

Matilda Loved Hot Girls with Balls 2w

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Megabooks

Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar | Katie Yee

My #botm choices! I thought about skipping, but the comparisons to Offill sold me on Maggie. The Compound looks fun, and I thought I‘d give Paradise a shot, too.

ChaoticMissAdventures I just finished Maggie last night and I am so excited to see it is an option, cannot wait to see what others think. I still need to post my review. 2w

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures It sounded really unique and quite out of the wheelhouse in more recent BOTM choices. Kind of takes me back to when they chose Chemistry and Goodbye Vitamin! 2w

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Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Hi campers! It‘s your heat-intolerant counselor living in Kentucky! I hoped to post this earlier, but going out in the afternoon heat was brutal.

The chapter break for the July 5 discussion is the start of chapter 28 page 212 in my US hardcover. On July 12, we will discuss the second half/whole book!

Be sure to bring your bug spray and sunscreen. I‘ll provide the s‘mores! 🏕️🍫 #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 2w

Megabooks @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 2w

Megabooks @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ
2w

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Megabooks @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 2w

Megabooks @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 2w

Megabooks @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah
2w

Ruthiella I didn‘t love a previous book by Okorafor but I‘m definitely interested in trying her again. 🤞 2w

BarbaraBB Yay! I enjoyed this one a lot and am looking forward to discussing it! I just emailed you in reply to your and Helen‘s suggestions! 2w

Roary47 I‘m having trouble finding this one. 😭 2w

squirrelbrain Exciting! Looking forward to it! 2w

Lesliereadsalot This one was so good! Looking forward to discussion ⛺️🔥🍫 2w

Bookwormjillk Yay! I‘m going to try this one on audio. 2w

Caroline2 Yay! So excited to start this one!! 👏 2w

Chelsea.Poole Totally out of my wheelhouse but I just started it and I‘m super into it! Can‘t wait to see where this goes and really looking forward to the discussion. Thanks for hosting Meg! 2w

RaeLovesToRead Please send iced coffee 😵😵😵 it is an emergency!!! I feel you with the heat intolerance 2w

mcctrish I‘m ready to go and drinking cold brew in solidarity 2w

DGRachel I‘ve had the audiobook waiting for me for months. Looking forward to this one! 2w

AmyG All set. I liked this one. 2w

Meshell1313 Can‘t wait! 2w

GatheringBooks Enjoyed reading this. Thank you for organizing camp! 🏕️ looking forward to our discussions! 🥰 2w

JamieArc Glad to see the positive reviews! I had mixed hopes about this one, but am looking forward to starting it! 2w

Megabooks @Ruthiella I hope you like it! It's very different than the other one I've read by her, and this one worked better. 2w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Thank you both so much for your excellent suggestions! I just emailed you back. 2w

Megabooks @Roary47 Oh no!! I hope you're able to find it in time! 2w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot I agree! I was so happy when it was chosen because I think it's a great one for discussion! 2w

Megabooks @Bookwormjillk Oh fantastic! Let us know what you think. 2w

Megabooks @Caroline2 I hope you love it! 2w

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole Yes! It's a great SciFi book even for people who don't usually read that genre. I think the discussion will be great! I was really happy when it was chosen. 2w

Megabooks @RaeLovesToRead @mcctrish I just finished a smoothie with frozen strawberries and cherries, and it was so good! At least it is overcast today here, so it's not as scorching. 2w

Megabooks @DGRachel Yay!! 🎉 📖 🎧 2w

Megabooks @AmyG Me too! Looking forward to the discussion. 2w

Megabooks @Meshell1313 Same! 2w

Megabooks @GatheringBooks So glad you liked it! You're welcome. We look forward to it every summer, too! 2w

Megabooks @JamieArc I really enjoyed it both times I read it, and I hope you do, too! 2w

Well-ReadNeck 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2w

julieclair Still waiting for my library hold to come in, and it‘s not looking promising. At this rate, I may be camping in Winter. 😕 But it‘s nice to know the discussions will be here for me to read and comment whenever I‘m able to read it. 2w

sarahbarnes Thanks, Meg! I‘m going to skip this one as it isn‘t speaking to me, but I‘m already loving Woodworking and looking forward to that one later this month! 😀 2w

Megabooks @julieclair Boo! I hope you enjoy reading the discussions later, but I'm also keeping my fingers crossed for a camp miracle! (edited) 2w

Megabooks @sarahbarnes We'll see you during the second half of the month then! Every book isn't for every reader. 2w

vonnie862 I'm highly enjoying this book. 2w

rockpools I don‘t suppose you listened to any audio of this did you @megabooks? Looks like my print library hold will arrive just as the discussions are finishing, so I‘m contemplating plan b! 2w

Megabooks @vonnie862 awesome!! 2w

Megabooks @rockpools I did not, unfortunately. I had a print copy from aardvark. I looked, and it does have multiple narrators, which I think would be necessary for this book, so it‘s probably worth trying out if you can!! 2w

rockpools @Megabooks Thanks Meg! It does require a bit more concentration at chapter changes than I usually give my audiobooks, but I think it‘s going to work ok. 2w

Megabooks @rockpools Great! Glad you'll be able to join us! 2w

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Megabooks

Murder in the Dollhouse: The Jennifer Dulos Story | Rich Cohen

Some exciting library holds! I‘m really enjoying this audiobook, too! (It‘s tagged.)

My TBR is way too long and exciting!! 😂😂

sarahbarnes Same - I can‘t get to all the books I‘m excited about fast enough! 😂 1mo

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Megabooks

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

Happy Pride Month to all the other queer Littens and allies!! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

I‘ve started the month off with Stag Dance, and I‘m hoping to get several more queer books in. 🤞🏻 that #bookspin lands on some, too!

TheAromaofBooks

Julsmarshall Love the list and the image! 💙❤️💚💜🖤💛 1mo

AmyG Happy Pride! 🌈 1mo

AmyG And I am curious about Stag Dance so let us know what you think. 1mo

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sarahbarnes Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈 1mo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo

Megabooks @Julsmarshall thanks!! 💚🤍🩶🖤🩷💜💙 1mo

Megabooks @amyg it‘s been really good so far!! I‘m through the first two short stories and into the title novella, which kind of surprised me to be historical fiction set at a logging camp. 1mo

AmyG I have read good things so happy to read you are enjoying it. 1mo

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Megabooks

Starving Saints | Caitlin Starling

Another fantastic month of choices from @AardvarkBookClub !! I was so disappointed that #botm didn‘t offer much in the way of choices for Pride Month, but #aardvark delivered with 3 options!! So excited for all of these!!

Also, I just finished last month‘s choice Immaculate Conception and gave it 5⭐️ if you‘re looking for another book. It‘s still available. Lots to think about re: friendship, art, jealousy, technology, ethics. Just really great!!

Megabooks

Immaculate Conception: A Novel

1mo

BarbaraBB This will be my next read!

Disappoint Me: From the author of BELLIES

1mo

sarahbarnes I‘m intrigued by Disappoint Me! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I read Disappointed Me and absolutely loved it! Dinan is my favorite new author and I cannot wait to see what she does next. 1mo

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Megabooks

Next to Heaven | James Frey

What is Litsy thinking about liar and admitted AI user James Frey being a #botm choice? TBH, the subject matter seems a bit lame, too. Swinging has been done at least since The Ice Storm. This sort of sounds like a rip off.

https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-plus/magazine/article/james-frey-i-use...

CBee Weird coincidence - just finished She‘s Come Undone (a reread) which was an Oprah pick. I read Frey‘s book too and thought it was powerful - felt pretty betrayed TBH when that whole scandal happened. Saw his name on BOTM and was surprised, but who knows? I guess everyone deserves a second chance 🤷‍♀️ Will be interested to see what folks think of his new book. 2mo

AmyG I am curious about this book, too. But I won‘t buy it or any of his books. I, too, felt a bit betrayed by him. 2mo

mollyrotondo I am definitely annoyed that BOTM picked this because if the original scandal wasn‘t enough, he has in recent years exploited MFA writers for his own profit and stated he uses AI to write his books. BOTM always promoted writers and debut authors so to highlight this guy is a far departure from what I thought they stood for. 2mo

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Deblovestoread Was shocked it was on there and I‘m not at all interested in getting it. I hope there is a collective ignoring that sends a message to BOTM. 2mo

BarbaraBB Isn‘t he the one who lied before? 2mo

Suet624 Seriously disappointing. 2mo

marleed I‘m skipping this one. I read A million little pieces before the controversy. It was meaningful to me and even learning much was fictionalized the impact of my actual read remained. I also think publishers at that time were equally if not more responsible for marketing a new author work as a full-out memoir and then the unanticipated Oprah attention blew the marketing out of control. …That said, I‘ve had no interest in reading him since 2mo

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Megabooks

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

My #botm choices this month! I was on the fence about A Family Matter, but then I saw @squirrelbrain ‘s review and picked it up.

King of Ashes is our awesome #CampLitsy25 August pick, and Other Side sounded like a nice light summer read.

BarbaraBB

Prairiegirl_reading The Other Side of Now is on my maybe list. I‘m curious what you‘ll think. 2mo

JamieArc I was going back and forth about this one and decided to wait. I wish I had seen her review first though! Perhaps it will go in my box next month. 2mo

squirrelbrain I do like to be helpful! 🤣 2mo

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Megabooks @squirrelbrain you are my dear friend!! 💜😁 1mo

Megabooks @JamieArc hopefully it stays in stock!! 1mo

Megabooks @Prairiegirl_reading sometime MR works for me but sometimes not…we‘ll see! 1mo

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Megabooks

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

FYI #BOTM peeps! Our August #CampLitsy25 choice, King of Ashes, looks to be a June BOTM pick! I think I‘ll cancel my preorder and get it here. Hope you‘ll join us then!

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

JamieArc Thanks for sharing! It‘s the one book I don‘t have. 2mo

squirrelbrain That‘s exciting for US Littens! 🎉 2mo

BarbaraBB That‘s great news for the US Littens indeed. And that timing 👌🏽 2mo

vlwelser That vampire book is excellent. In case you needed an extra 500+ page book... 2mo

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Megabooks

Audition | Katie Kitamura

Weekend book thoughts!

Audition, our first #CampLitsy25 book, finished it yesterday. I‘m not sure I “liked” it, but it is going to be killer for discussion!! I can‘t wait to hear @squirrelbrain ‘s thoughts on questions!

Goddess Complex. Started it this morning doing the inevitable Saturday morning jobs (laundry, shopping, blah), and I‘m loving it. Kind of a bit millennial lost in her 30s, divorcing when everyone else is ⬇️

BarbaraBB

Megabooks settling down. And there is the extra added dimension of being Indian-American with a perfect-to-their-parents sister. Is it the most original book? No. Is it good? So far yes imo. ⬇️

Goddess Complex: A Novel

(edited) 2mo

Megabooks The new Scalzi! Been waiting seemingly forever for it from the library. Came in yesterday…only had time for 15 pages so far this morning. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Hope everyone has a great weekend!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye

2mo

BarbaraBB Hi Meg! Great reading! I don‘t know Scalzi but now I have kind of fomo 😀 2mo

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squirrelbrain I just sent you the questions, probably at the same time as you made this post! 😊 2mo

AmyG Have a good weekend. Agree on Auditions. I can‘t wait to discuss it. 2mo

Eggbeater I loved the moon made of cheese. That Scalzi book made me so happy! 2mo

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Megabooks

Run for the Hills: A Novel | Kevin Wilson

I‘ve been using Libro.fm solely for this year and partially for a few more, and I‘ve hit a point of having the same number of finished and unfinished books. 😁🎉 Still not anywhere close to the 900+ I own on Audible, but I love supporting my local bookstore.

I‘m really enjoying Run for the Hills! Fun fact: Marin Ireland narrates both it and My Friends. I like her as a narrator. She‘s one that will swing me to the audio side.

Megabooks Also, Tender Hearts is a must read!

The Road to Tender Hearts: A Novel

(edited) 2mo

squirrelbrain I was thinking about getting The Road to Tender Hearts on audio - you‘ve convinced me! And I‘m getting the Wilson as well anyway…. 2mo

squirrelbrain But, just checked everywhere and I can‘t get Tender Hearts! 🤨 2mo

DHill I will listen to anything narrated by Marin Ireland. She also narrated Nothing to See Here, one of my favorites by Kevin Wilson. 2mo

BarbaraBB I am looking forward to the Wilson! 2mo

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Megabooks

How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time | Amy Larocca

I was already pretty unimpressed by this fairly unorganized hodgepodge of things under wellness umbrella, but when she called Celiac Disease an allergy and not an autoimmune condition and said that gluten intolerance was a “more mild form of it,” she lost me as a reader. Period. Glad I didn‘t pay for this. If you and your editor and your publisher are that lazy that you can‘t do basic factchecking, how can I trust the rest of it?

BkClubCare Boooooo. If GF issues concern you, pls do right by YOU. I will support my GF friends. 2mo

willaful Yikes! 2mo

shortsarahrose Yikes, indeed 😬 2mo

Centique That is just bonkers. I mean it‘s a Whole Book about health issues, not just an aside in a novel. You‘d expect that to be Step 1 in writing on a health topic - Step 1 look up the definition of the health issues. 🤯 2mo

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Megabooks

Let's Go Camping! | Jan Mader

Once again I will be your camp counselor for July, and I am so excited to discuss these books!

I have already read Death of the Author, and I have been dying to discuss it because it is so unique. Woodworking is new to me, and I‘m so excited for us to explore it together.

I‘ll be posting page breaks later, but I hope you can join me July 5/6 and 12/13 for Author and July 19/20 and 26/27 for Woodworking! 🏕️😁 #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM @Cbee 2mo

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose 2mo

Megabooks @Gatheringbooks @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK @Karisa 2mo

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Megabooks @kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell 1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit 2mo

Megabooks @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita 2mo

Megabooks @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @Meshell1313 @Addison_Reads 2mo

Prairiegirl_reading Yay!! I‘m excited to read both! 2mo

AmyG Thank you! So excited. 2mo

Deblovestoread Oooo, great choices! Can‘t wait to read them with you. 2mo

TrishB Fabulous!! Can‘t wait. 2mo

Ruthiella Awesome! These are two books I definitely would not have picked up on my own. Excited to try them. 👍 2mo

Caroline2 Exciting! 😃 👏 2mo

BarbaraBB Super excited about both of these! 2mo

CBee Thank you!! Very excited 😊 2mo

Christine Yesssss, these are great!! I needed this nudge to read the Okorafor and I LOVED Woodworking. 2mo

TheKidUpstairs Two more great choices! It's going to be a great summer at camp! 2mo

MeganAnn Yay! Death of the Author is one I was most hoping would be chosen since it‘s already on my shelf. 🎉 I‘m looking forward to reading Woodworking too. 2mo

Bookwormjillk Yay! So excited for all the choices so far this year! 2mo

Meshell1313 Hooray! These seem great! Can‘t wait! 2mo

Oryx Sound great - neither on my radar so I'm excited for something new 2mo

Jas16 I am so excited these books were chosen! 2mo

monalyisha I‘m definitely going to try to join for Death of the Author! 2mo

ChaoticMissAdventures Yay! One I nominated! And one I also really want to read!! Shaping up to be a fantastic summer camping! 2mo

Hooked_on_books I‘m excited for Woodworking, but Death of the Author was a bail for me, so I won‘t be trying that again! 2mo

TheBookHippie I‘m in for Woodworking. Trying to see if library will have it. 2mo

squirrelbrain Two more fabulous books for camp! ❤️ 2mo

JamieArc Interesting choices! If Death of the Author is tough to get through at least we can all struggle together 😂. I‘m still looking forward to trying it. (edited) 2mo

RaeLovesToRead Excited! This will be my second Okorafor! 2mo

JenP I read and liked Death of the author. I look forward to both discussions. 2mo

BarbaraBB @JamieArc I agree! I expect to like it but if not, at least we‘re in it together! 2mo

peaKnit Oooh I‘ve read neither, yay! 2mo

Texreader I‘ve totally missed signing up. Too late? 2mo

Lesliereadsalot I know absolutely nothing about either of these two books! Can‘t wait. @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain (edited) 2mo

Megabooks @Prairiegirl_reading @amyg @deblovestoread @trishb @ruthiella @caroline2 @cbee @bookwormjillk @meshell1313 @oryx @jas16 So glad you will all be around the campfire discussing books this summer! 2mo

Megabooks @Christine I'm so glad you loved Woodworking, and I hope you will enjoy Author just as much!
2mo

Megabooks @MeganAnn I'm so glad we picked Author, too. I hope you love both! 2mo

Megabooks @monalyisha Yay! 👍 👍 2mo

Megabooks @Hooked_on_books So glad you'll join us for one! 😁 👍 2mo

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures Great! Looking forward to seeing what you think of your nominee! 2mo

Megabooks @TheBookHippie Fantastic! I hope you can find a copy! 2mo

Megabooks @JamieArc I loved it, but the structure of the plot is different, so we'll see! 2mo

Megabooks @RaeLovesToRead It was my second, too! 2mo

Megabooks @JenP Great!!! 2mo

Megabooks @peaKnit 🎉 🎉 2mo

Megabooks @Texreader Not at all! Let's get her added to the tag list @BarbaraBB and @squirrelbrain 👍 👍 2mo

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot So glad to have you join us! 2mo

Megabooks Excited to be organizing with the two best co-counsellors! @barbaraBB @squirrelbrain 💜 💜 2mo

Texreader @Megabooks Yay!!! Thank you! 2mo

Addison_Reads I loved Death of the Author! I can't wait to discuss it. 2mo

Suet624 Yay! Thank you!! 2mo

Well-ReadNeck Oooooh! 👀 2mo

BarbaraBB @Megabooks 🧡🧡 2mo

Kitta Oh wow so far only one of my choices made the list (Wild dark shore) ! Excited to be introduced to some new stuff. @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks 2mo

BkClubCare Haha LOVE the suspense you are creating!! 2mo

KarenUK Woodworking! So excited for this one! 2mo

julieclair I‘m looking forward to these! 2mo

peanutnine Can I jump in for July? Both these books are on my TBR and I'd love to discuss with others! 2mo

Megabooks @peanutnine sure! We‘d love to have you! @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain 2mo

Megabooks @julieclair me too! 2mo

Megabooks @KarenUK it was one of my nominees, so I‘m very excited it was picked! 2mo

Megabooks @BkClubCare suspense over now!! 😂😂 I hope you like the picks!! 2mo

Megabooks @Kitta that is the best part of camp! 2mo

Megabooks @Kitta great! It‘s always so fun to see what‘s picked. Helen is very organized at recording the vote, and when we looked back almost all 71 voters had at least one of their six choices win, which is great! 2mo

Megabooks @Well-ReadNeck @Suet624 so excited to have you both back at camp! 2mo

Megabooks @Addison_Reads me too! I think it‘s going to be a great one to discuss! 2mo

Kitta @Megabooks oh wow that‘s great! I‘m surprised it‘s not a drop down menu or something. The free text must be difficult to score! 2mo

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Megabooks

The Bombshell | Darrow Farr

Happy #botm day! The irises are blooming, and it‘s finally sunny! The Bombshell is my #bookspin or #doublespin, so I‘m starting there.

And Kate from Kate & Frida (tagged below) is a big Colwin fan and just mentioned this book specifically!

TheAromaofBooks

Megabooks

Kate & Frida: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Books

2mo

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! Fingers crossed for sunshine tomorrow - we've gotten almost 6 inches of rain in the last five days! 2mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 💜 2mo

BarbaraBB Great haul. BOTM has drawn you in again! (edited) 2mo

75 likes4 comments

Megabooks

Parnassus Books | Nashville, TN (Bookstore)

Finally! I have time to photograph and share my Parnassus stack (along with a little Vance clapback wood art 😉). I wish I had gotten the tee I likes, but next time. 🤞🏻

I try to plan a couple and choose a couple by happy accident. I knew I wanted the signed Audition and Kate & Frida. The Millet was an easy choice because it‘s short stories. Screaming was one I pulled randomly off the fiction shelves. I turned to a page in the middle and was ⬇️

Megabooks immediately hooked. I hope I enjoy it as much as I think I will. It‘s between that and K&F for my next read! Thank you so very much for the gift card @squirrelbrain 💜💜

Make Sure You Die Screaming: A Novel

(edited) 2mo

Ruthiella Nice haul! 👍 2mo

Centique What a great trip to Parnassus 😍 Nothing better than some exciting new books to look forward to! 2mo

See All 6 Comments

squirrelbrain Great haul! ❤️ I just got Kate and Frida on audio! 2mo

BarbaraBB They all seem great! I had no idea there was a new Millet or I would have nominated it for #CampLitsy25! Glad you had such a rewarding trip! 2mo

CarolynM Did you see Anne Patchett‘s response to 2 of her books being banned in a Florida county? She‘s the best! 2mo

80 likes6 comments

Megabooks

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

Last minute #bookspin list after a great day in Nashville. Preview of my Parnassus buys at 18-20!!

TheAromaofBooks

Trashcanman 👀👋 2mo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo

Megabooks @Trashcanman hey friend! 2mo

BarbaraBB Yay, a great day in Nashville! Love to see the stack! 2mo

47 likes4 comments

Megabooks

The Immaculate Conception | Ga?tan Soucy

So I looked at the solutions to the clues on Reddit (generally someone has them there by the third ones) and was on the fence about Original Daughter. Of course I got it! 😂😂 Four from #botm plus three from #aardvark plus whatever I buy at Parnassus today. (I already have three staff picks I like.) 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😂 I‘ve lost my mind in the best possible way!!!!

AardvarkBookClub

BarbaraBB That sounds fabulous. Lose yourself in that book buying, you deserve it 🧡 2mo

AmyG You can never have too many books! 2mo

squirrelbrain Can‘t wait to see your book haul! 2mo

61 likes3 comments

Megabooks

The Names: A Novel | Florence Knapp

A great month for #botm imo! Thank you to the person who nominated The Bombshell for #CampLitsy25 and put it on my radar! Speaking of CL it has been so good seeing everyone‘s votes. Check @BarbaraBB profile for a link to the longlist and voting form. There is definitely still time to vote!

I am finally starting to feel a bit better and am hopefully headed to Parnassus and Nashville for an afternoon off later this week!

Megabooks And a very, very big thank you to @squirrelbrain for the Parnassus gift card for my birthday!! I hope they still have signed copies of Audition because I may not be able to say no to that!! 💜💜 2mo

LeeRHarry How great that there‘s a Laurie Colwin on the list! I have this one on my TBR. 😊 2mo

Suet624 Colwin! 2mo

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Megabooks @LeeRHarry @Suet624 I don‘t remember how I found their reprints of her books on the app, but I want to pick up this one, too.

Family Happiness

2mo

squirrelbrain It was @JamieArc ( thank you 🤩)who nominated The Bombshell - I managed to get a copy on NetGalley! I hope you do manage to get to Parnassus, Meg! ❤️ 2mo

Suet624 Family happiness is the first one I read of hers. Was it her first book? 2mo

LeeRHarry @Suet624 That‘s the one I have read of hers - not sure if it‘s her first or not - and went out looking for more. 2mo

Megabooks @squirrelbrain I have found someone to walk Molly and feed her dinner, so it is on!! 2mo

Megabooks @Suet624 @LeeRHarry I don‘t know either. I originally had it in my box, but I need a little break from couple drama after this book. Not because it was bad but because I got waaayy too caught up in it!

The Snowbirds: A Novel

2mo

JamieArc @squirrelbrain Thanks for tagging me 😊 @Megabooks I was excited to see The Bombshell as a pick! I forget the picks were up today so I‘m glad for the reminder! 2mo

BarbaraBB What a great gift from Helen! I am so happy you‘re feeling a bit better and hope you‘ll have the best of times at Parnassus ❤️ 2mo

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Megabooks

Vanishing World | Sayaka Murata

It is so wonderful to log in after celebrating my mom‘s 80th birthday with family to see all these #CampLitsy25 nominations!! Wow!! I probably won‘t be able to get to the all before tomorrow, but I wanted to quickly share my nominations. I am so excited to be doing this with @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain again!!

Let us know if you‘d like to join us this summer for reading and discussing six amazing books!

My 3 other noms tagged below.

3mo

3mo

3mo

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ChaoticMissAdventures Yes! Woodworking. I don't know how I am ever going to vote everyone is nominating such great things! 3mo

Ruthiella Oh! Liquid! I want to give it a try too ! 3mo

Christine Amazing nominations! I LOVED Woodworking!! 3mo

TheKidUpstairs I was thinking about nominating Woodworking, too! Great choices! 3mo

GatheringBooks I lovelovelove the look of Liquid. So many great titles in 2025!!! 3mo

BooksandCoffee4Me Yes, please!! Would love to join. 3mo

BarbaraBB Hi Meg, love your choices! Hope you had a good birthday with your mom! You must have been blown away by all nominations 🥰 3mo

squirrelbrain Happy Birthday to your Mom! I‘ve got Woodworking on Everand audio - might listen to it soon anyway! 3mo

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures @christine @thekidupstairs I think Woodworking is one I'll read regardless of whether it is chosen! I hope we get a queer book or two this year!

See What I Have Done

3mo

Megabooks @Ruthiella @gatheringbooks Liquid is the only one that I've already read. It is so much deeper than the blurb makes it sound. It was not only about dating and love but also about family and regret and opportunities lost and gained. It threw me for a loop.

See What I Have Done

3mo

Megabooks @BooksandCoffee4Me so glad you'll be joining us this year! Did you get her on the list @Barbarabb? I'm just now catching up after this weekend!

See What I Have Done

3mo

Megabooks @squirrelbrain - let me know how the audio is! I've been trying to use my libro.fm membership more. @Barbarabb Thanks to you both for sending birthday wishes to my mom. I hope she had a great weekend and enjoyed it all.

See What I Have Done

3mo

BarbaraBB I need to read Liquid no matter what! And yes I have added @BooksandCoffee4Me ❤️. Why are you tagging See What I Have Done? 3mo

BkClubCare @Megabooks- yes! Why? Do tell? @BarbaraBB 3mo

Megabooks @BkClubCare I meant to tag it on one particular comment and a glitch on Litsy tagged it on every comment I made this afternoon!! @BarbaraBB 3mo

BarbaraBB That‘s a freaky glitch! Especially with that title 😂😉 @BkClubCare (edited) 3mo

BkClubCare @Megabooks @BarbaraBB - Wowza! Conspiracy theory, anyone?! 😂 3mo

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Megabooks

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism | Sarah Wynn-Williams

This is one of the most shocking and disturbing books I‘ve ever read, and it makes me want to delete every meta app on my phone.

Sarah talked her way into a job at Facebook to direct their policy and contact with other countries. She entered as an idealist with hopes of social media connecting the world. In 2017, she‘s facing knowledge of the spying apps that Facebook has specifically develop so the Chinese Communist Party can ⬇️

Megabooks surveil its citizens at home and abroad and shut down dissent. I remember Mark standing behind carrot man a couple of months ago and read here his positive thoughts on the role fb played in the carrot man part 1, and I can‘t help but wonder what kind of surveillance he‘d be willing to deploy on Americans… 3mo

AmyG If you are on a “disturbing” reading jag…read Nuclear War next. 3mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I deleted all my Meta apps about a year ago. I have my basic fb log in still (if i don't log in when my mom tells me she has new photos of my nieces she will send me 45 individual photos over text....). I mostly stopped using them after the Cambridge Analytica scandal (2018), do they talk about that in this? I have the arc for this but have been hesitant to pick it up. 3mo

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Leftcoastzen I never did any Meta. So glad. I have this book, haven‘t started yet. (edited) 3mo

Cortg I‘m listening to this and I‘m ~70% of the way through. I‘m starting to think about my meta apps and whether I should delete them. It‘s hard b/c it‘s how I keep up with people I grew up with and I‘ve met and connected with so many people through FB. I‘m really torn. 3mo

marleed I agree, my respect for Zuckerberg and Sanberg was already plummeting (I was unaware of the other actual names). But really now I‘m nothing less than disgusted. It really is how I connect with some family and friends who mean a lot to me so I‘m not ready to delete the META apps. I can easily limit my own posts to 3 a year. And I will never hit the like button on anything but sweet family pics ever again. 3mo

Sparklemn @marleed I‘m going to take your approach. I‘ve never been very active on FB but I‘m going to be frugal with my Likes from now on. 3mo

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Megabooks

Tilt | Emma Pattee

Another month, another full @AardvarkBookClub box! Their picks were so much better than BOTM (which I skipped) this month. So excited for all of these. I love that #aardvark doesn‘t shy away from darker books!

BarbaraBB I purchased Tilt too. Cindy said I‘d love it so I couldn‘t resist! 3mo

65 likes1 comment

Megabooks

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

NGL the last month has been HARD! For the first time, I didn‘t read my #bookspin or #doublespin. It started with all three of us catching norovirus. Because of my MCAS, I have still not recovered and it has caused further restrictions on foods I can eat. (No more processed food, dairy, eggs or gelatin - so no more animal-derived food of any kind for me)! 🤦🏻‍♀️

We also had a massive hail storm which caused a total loss of one car, severe ⬇️

TheAromaofBooks

Megabooks damage to two more, and we have to fully replace the roof on the house and the garage. I‘ve bought a new car to replace the total loss already. (I love it! 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe calligraphy) But all this upheaval has me truly, truly exhausted physically and mentally. I hope April will be better. 3mo

Dilara Oh dear 😬 I hope you get a new roof soon! 3mo

Librarybelle Hope for a better April for you! 3mo

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Susanita Yikes! I hope April is better for you! 3mo

youneverarrived That sounds like a lot! I hope this month is better 🩵 3mo

BarbaraBB That is a lot. I hope you will have a more relaxed April 🤍 3mo

Hooked_on_books Wow, that is a lot! Give yourself some grace as you work through all of that. I am curious to see what you think of The Anthropologists. It was a dnf for me. 3mo

Centique You have been through such a lot Meg. I really hope the food change helps. You deserve grace and sunshine and support from all around after the last few months and i hope that is what April brings 💕 3mo

CarolynM I‘m sorry you‘ve had such a difficult time. Hope April brings better things💕 3mo

TheAromaofBooks Goodness, everything happens at once!!! Hope things balance out in April!!! 3mo

Reggie Holy crap, Meg! I hope the rest of the year is nothing but smooth sailing for you, chica. 3mo

Suet624 Wow! I“m so sorry to read about all the destruction you experienced! 3mo

Megabooks @Suet624 thanks…it‘s been a long winter. Now I‘m fighting a sinus infection when I‘m supposed to be getting my first shot of a biologic on Friday. It just never ends here!! 3mo

Suet624 Oh gosh. It just doesn‘t quit. 😭 3mo

52 likes14 comments

Megabooks

Severance: A Novel | Ling Ma

Once again, super late posting about monthly challenges!! Luckily one on my #roll100 choices was my #bookspin! I think my #doublespin was on the #camplitsy24 longlist, and that‘s why I bought it! Hoping I can get to Turbulence as well because it‘s a favorite short story collection.

Right now I‘m reading Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett from the library, and my #botm choice Care and Feeding by Bourdain‘s assistant Laurie Woolever. ⬇️

Megabooks Laurie worked for now-disgraced celebrity chef Mario Batali before she worked for Bourdain, and he was an a-hole and pig. Groped every female employee. Seemed to get off on denigrating every employee. Glad he was exposed!!!! 4mo

Bookwormjillk Ew. Such a disappointment. (Batali) (edited) 4mo

Megabooks @Bookwormjillk truly. It proves (again) you never know what a celebrity is like in real life. I enjoyed his shows on Food Network, but yeah, he deserved his comeuppance! 4mo

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Centique Missing your posts Meg. Hope you and your Mum and Dad are okay ♥️🙏 4mo

Megabooks @Centique thanks Paula!! I‘m just exhausted. We finally have dad pretty settled in the nursing home, but then a week ago we had a huge hail storm. We will have to get a roof replaced and my car had the sunroof broken out and extensive water damage, so it will have to be replaced. I‘ve found a car I like, but we always pay cash for cars (as opposed to financing them), so I‘m going yo several dealerships to get the best price. 4mo

Centique @Megabooks oh wow Meg that is a LOT! Im glad you are ok and your dad is settled. Best of luck getting a new car and a new roof! 💕 4mo

BarbaraBB I miss you! Are you taking a break from Litsy? 🤍 4mo

Megabooks @BarbaraBB I just don‘t have time. I can‘t think straight to write reviews. I‘m hoping things will get easier when we finish cleaning up from the hail storm and I get used to eating entirely plant based. A lot to figure out rn!! 4mo

BarbaraBB I get it! That hail storm sounded massive. Eating entirely plant based, wow. How do you like it? And does your body? Speak soon, take care Meg ❤️ (edited) 4mo

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Megabooks

Shanghailanders | Juli Min

A few really good ones, a lot of good ones, and a few disappointments. I read all three of my February #aardvark choices in the month of February! 🎉🎉

Megabooks Favorite @AardvarkBookClub choice: Dead Money. If you love thrillers and Silicon Valley it‘s for you.

Dead Money: A Novel

4mo

Megabooks But this one was great, too, and such a unique book!

Death of the Author: A Novel

4mo

LeeRHarry I really liked The Nest too when I read it years ago - I was in the mood for some unlikeable characters I guess. 😊 4mo

Deblovestoread Great reading month! I love we can share 🌟 reviews from Storygraph. Stacking your faves. 4mo

Gissy Impressed🤩📚👏👏👏👏 4mo

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Megabooks

Summerwater | Sarah Moss

Probably my lowest reading month in 5 years! But there were a few I loved. Really enjoying Rachel Harrison! The other two are novel-in-stories type books that fit my short story theme this year.

Megabooks

Such Sharp Teeth

4mo

sarahbarnes I really liked Summer Water too! 4mo

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Megabooks

The Unworthy: A Novel | Agustina Bazterrica

It‘s going to be a good month!! #aardvark

AardvarkBookClub

JamieArc I‘m so curious about The Unworthy. 4mo

Jess I bought The Unworthy last night or that would have been my pick. I‘m looking forward to it. I chose Jane O but love how much horror this book club has. Enjoy! 4mo

Sace I was really tempted by The Unworthy but that sneak peek gave me the heebie jeebies 😂 4mo

See All 13 Comments

Megabooks @Jess I‘m about to finish Jane O on audio. It‘s really good!! 4mo

BarbaraBB Oow interesting. I loved

Tender Is the Flesh

4mo

vlwelser I want both of these. The selections this month are 🔥 4mo

Megabooks @vlwelser 💯💯 4mo

Megabooks @BarbaraBB @JamieArc I‘ve heard it‘s really dark but has amazing world building for such a short novel. (A lot like Tender!) 4mo

Megabooks @Jess I just finished Jane O and really enjoyed it! I hope you like it too! 4mo

Jess Good to hear. Looking forward to both of these! 4mo

BarbaraBB That sounds good. I preordered the paperback! 4mo

Megabooks @BarbaraBB hey friend! Sent you an email. I‘m so sorry I haven‘t been around in the last month!! It has been really hard adjusting to all the changes here. I hope I haven‘t damaged our friendship and that you‘re doing okay. Miss you!! 💜💜 4mo

BarbaraBB @Megabooks Of course you haven‘t dear Meg! I completely understand and will write back later today. Missed you too 🩷🩷 4mo

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Megabooks

Care and Feeding | Laurie Woolever

Well, in keeping with the theme of things going wrong this year…

I had put my membership on pause, but when I saw this Bourdain-adjacent book I have been following for a year was a pick, I unpaused. But it wouldn‘t let me add any more books like Liquid, which sounded cool, or Wild Dark Shore. So I ordered and called an hour later when customer support opened to see if I could add to my box. Nope label printed done and done. ⬇️

Megabooks I probably dodged a bullet though because I‘ll be a friend (again) next month, so I can add them on at a better price. I really don‘t need to be getting BOTM and aardvark every month, and overall, I like aardvark‘s picks better, but BOTM will always pull me in with books like Care and Feeding. Idk y‘all. Books are an addiction and shopping is a distraction. 5mo

AmyG Sending a hug. 5mo

Centique No guilt about a bit of book buying if it gives you some joy lovely Meg! Go easy on yourself - when youre in a tough place, the little things that help are good and necessary. I hope it wont be long until your dad is doing better 💕 5mo

BarbaraBB Sending love Meg. I hope the books offer some distraction from the worries about your lovely Dad. I hope you‘ll all come to peace soon with the new situation and that you‘ll be able to enjoy those books ❤️😘 5mo

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Megabooks

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

So it‘s been a rough year so far, but March is my birthday month, and I‘m hoping to take a day trip to Nashville or Louisville. I‘d like to get to one of the longer books in my TBR read this month (All the Colors…, Playworld, My Friends, etc.), so I threw a spot for that on. If I don‘t pick a February aardvark, 20 will be a wildcard spot. The hints are pointing at some books I‘m interested in, though! #bookspin #doublespin

TheAromaofBooks

Suet624 Best wishes for a fun trip. 5mo

Megabooks @Suet624 thanks, Sue! 5mo

BarbaraBB I hope you‘ll be able to make that trip and enjoy! And I hope you‘ll read Playground, my favorite of the year so far 🩷 5mo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4mo

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Megabooks

Shanghailanders | Juli Min

pick

I loved both my #bookspin and #doublespin this month. Summerwater has rightfully received a lot of love here. Shanghailanders also in that novel-in-stories vibe with the story of a Chinese/Japanese parents with three daughters living in Shanghai after the parents met as young adults in Paris. The story is told in reverse chronological order. I don‘t think that plot device added anything, but the novel was still great! Life update ⬇️

TheAromaofBooks

Megabooks Dad is still in the nursing home. We miss having him here, and he is very homesick, which is heartbreaking! He is making some progress in PT/OT/speech therapy but so far not enough that we can manage him in home. I don‘t have a lot of space to feel my feelings because my energy goes to supporting Mom and Dad. But it is vastly physically easier for me with him there. One of us is visiting him everyday and usually staying for an hour. ⬇️ 5mo

Megabooks I have caught the flu. (I think. No test yet to confirm.) So I‘m just trying to stay away from everyone today. Otherwise, I‘m reading some. If you want to know what, I‘m still logging under the same handle on the storygraph. Miss everyone here and hoping my life hits a routine soon. @BarbaraBB your birthday gift arrived yesterday!!! Yay!! Thank you!! 💙💙 5mo

Librarybelle ❤️❤️❤️ 5mo

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Bookwormjillk Happy belated birthday, hope you feel better soon, and hoping for continued progress for your dad. (edited) 5mo

BarbaraBB Thanks for the update. Such hard times. Of course I follow along on Storygraph and I‘ll email soon too! 💕 5mo

sarahbarnes Happy birthday and hope you feel better soon. ♥️ 5mo

Ruthiella ❤️❤️❤️ 5mo

TheAromaofBooks Glad you enjoyed your Spins!!!! It's tough when you just physically can no longer provide someone you love with the care they need. But it's wonderful that you can still be close and do what you can!! 5mo

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Megabooks

Summerwater | Sarah Moss

I did do a #bookspin list at the beginning of the month and never posted it. I saw that Summerwater (an old fave from my #roll100) and Shanghailanders (a new find at BN) were chosen.

Things are still crazy here. We‘ve gotten Dad mostly settled in the nursing home (after his second major stroke), and Mom or I is visiting every day. Today, I got clearance to bring Molly, and she came with me. It‘s just still a lot logistically and emotionally. ⬇️

TheAromaofBooks

Megabooks I spend more time than I‘d like distractedly watch reels on instagram. (Feel free to follow me there - megabooksreads.) I‘ve finished a few books this month. Mainly more lighthearted stuff. I enjoyed Alton Brown‘s new essay collection. I‘ll tag it here. Idk folks. Sometimes life just throws you crappy curveballs, 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations

(edited) 5mo

Megabooks @PuddleJumper I also really enjoyed my #roll100 reread of the early @AardvarkBookClub pick

Aesthetica

5mo

Librarybelle Thinking of you! ❤️ 5mo

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Scochrane26 So sorry to hear about your dad. Mine has dementia & parkinsons—he‘s still at home but may end up in a nursing home at some point. It‘s a lot to cope with—reels & lighthearted reads may be all you can handle right now. 5mo

sarahbarnes So sorry Meg ♥️♥️ 5mo

Deblovestoread Thinking of you and your family.. 5mo

BarbaraBB So sorry Meg. I hope it‘ll turn our for the best ❤️. I‘ll write to you soon 5mo

squirrelbrain I‘ll write to you soon too! ❤️ 5mo

Butterfinger Will keep you in my thoughts. 5mo

Chelsea.Poole Thinking of you! 5mo

TheAromaofBooks It's so hard when you can no longer do the caregiving yourself, still feeling like you should. I hope you all are able to find a new routine that works!!! 5mo

Megabooks @Scochrane26 I'm very sorry to hear that. Managing a parent's healthcare needs can be very overwhelming. We've been able to care for dad at home for five years after his first stroke and through bladder cancer, but in the nursing home, he is seeing PT, OT, and speech therapy every day but Sunday. In home, it would just be once or twice a week. We're hoping he can gain back enough function to come home again. That is our goal! 5mo

Bookwormjillk I‘ve been thinking of you. Hang in there ❤️ 5mo

CarolynM Hugs❤️ 5mo

youneverarrived Thinking of you 💜 5mo

Hooked_on_books I think you‘re in Kentucky and it looks like it‘s a mess. I hope you and yours are ok with the storms. (On top of everything you‘re already dealing with.) 5mo

Megabooks @Hooked_on_books thanks so much for checking in. I‘m in west Kentucky, and the east is the worst hit. It‘s horrendous. The country is such a dumpster fire now. 5mo

Centique Im hoping your Dad is improving with the extra help Meg and that youre all safe from the floods and storm. So sorry that life is throwing curveballs at you. Sometimes reels and mindless phone games are just what you need to give your brain a rest and some distraction 💕💕 5mo

Suet624 It sounds like the nursing home is good for him right now. I hope you can rest up a bit. 💕 5mo

BarbaraBB Two weeks without Meg on Litsy… it‘s too long! I hope you‘ll have the energy and will to get back here soon 💕 5mo

CBee Thinking of you, Meg ♥️ 🫂 @Megabooks 5mo

76 likes21 comments

Megabooks

Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations | Alton Brown

Rare that I see my hometown mentioned (even obliquely) in a book! We‘re known for barbecuing mutton, and I think we have the best burgoo in the South. It‘s a type of hunter‘s stew that generally has 3 meats - a small mammal, a large mammal, and a bird. (A common combination is venison, pheasant, and squirrel (or rabbit).)

56 likes

Megabooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

In the midst of chaos, there are always books. My dad has had another stroke. It is a long story that I am still too exhausted to tell fully. Mom and I are working to get him in a nursing home next week. Idk guys. Life is never fair.

Filled my @AardvarkBookClub box 💜💜 #aardvark

@BarbaraBB and @squirrelbrain I‘d love to hear from you if you have time, but I can‘t promise a quick reply. 😘😘

Librarybelle I‘m so sorry to hear. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts. ❤️ 5mo

kspenmoll I am so so sorry. Sending love.❤️ 5mo

merelybookish Sorry that things are chaotic and hard. 😔Hope your Dad gets settled soon. 5mo

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vlwelser Sending you lots of love and positive thoughts. 🤗😘 5mo

Flaneurette Sorry to hear this, keeping you in my thoughts 5mo

ShelleyBooksie Sending you strength, you are in my thoughts ❤️ 5mo

AmyG I am so very sorry to read this. Saying a prayer for you and Mom….may he get settled in soon. 5mo

Jas16 I am so sorry to hear you this. Sending you love and keeping your family in my thoughts. 5mo

sherrisilvera Wishing him a speedy recovery! 5mo

Deblovestoread Oh Meg, I‘m so sorry! Sending ❤️ 5mo

Billypar I'm so sorry to hear this. Wishing him a successful recovery, and my thoughts are with you and your family 💙 5mo

Leftcoastzen So sorry there are so many struggles right now. Keeping you and yours in my thoughts. 5mo

MaureenMc I‘m so sorry. Sending you all 🙏 5mo

BarbaraBB Oh Meg I am so sorry. You‘ve been expecting it but this is so irreversible. I‘ll email you and wish you all the strength to cope ❤️‍🩹 5mo

LeahBergen I‘m so sorry to hear this. 💔 5mo

CoffeeK8 I‘m so sorry to hear this. 5mo

youneverarrived So sorry to hear. Sending lots of love ❤️ 5mo

Readerann ❤️ 5mo

CarolynM Sorry to hear this, Meg. It‘s a tough road, you can only do your best with what‘s in front of you in the moment. Sending love and hugs💕 5mo

staci.reads Very sorry for your family ❤️ 5mo

Jeg ❤️❤️❤️ 5mo

janeycanuck I‘m so sorry to hear this. Thinking of you & your mom & dad ❤️ (edited) 5mo

Centique Oh no i am so sorry to hear this. 💔These events are so frightening in themselves and then carry further worry and work in their wake. I hope you can get your Dad into a good place and he will recoup and stabilise. Xxxx 5mo

Chelsea.Poole So sorry for your family. Caregiving is such an act of love, though stressful. Take care of yourself too! 5mo

BarbaraBB How are you holding up Meg? Any updates on your dad? 🩷🩷🩷 5mo

Bookwormjillk Sorry to hear this 💔 5mo

Suet624 I‘m just seeing this. My heart goes out to you. 5mo

PaperbackPirate I‘m so sorry. Thinking of you and your family. 💙 3mo

74 likes28 comments

Megabooks

Black Woods, Blue Sky | Eowyn Ivey, Ruth Hulbert (illustrator)

Couldn‘t pass up the Ivy! BOTM, have you sucked me back in?

JenReadsAlot I'm so excited her new book is a pick! 5mo

BarbaraBB Haha BOTM doesn‘t give up on you that easy! 5mo

Megabooks @JenReadsAlot Me, too! 5mo

Megabooks @BarbaraBB It doesn't! I had to get one more month at full price on the deal. I promised myself I'd skip if I didn't love what was offered, but I really enjoyed this one, so hopefully her latest is as good.

To the Bright Edge of the World

5mo

BarbaraBB I loved

The Snow Child

5mo

60 likes5 comments

Megabooks

Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography | Laurie Woolever

I‘ve mentioned a couple of times that I read all of Bourdain‘s books last year. His still photographer is doing a sale of these fairly reasonably priced prints ($120 US shipping included), and I ended up buying 3 (at his writing desk) and 4 (the iconic middle finger). After all that time with him last year, it‘ll be nice to have him near my bookshelves! Sale ends tomorrow.

http://www.davidscottholloway.com/bourdain-print-sale

Megabooks He will ship internationally but it will cost extra. 5mo

JenReadsAlot Thank you for sharing I just love him. 5mo

BarbaraBB Wow! Great purchase! 5mo

See All 6 Comments

Megabooks @JenReadsAlot You're welcome! He was wonderful. 5mo

Megabooks @BarbaraBB Thanks! 😁 I'm hoping I'll enjoy having them up in my house! 5mo

Centique That is awesome! 5mo

54 likes6 comments

Megabooks

Thank You, Mr. Nixon: Stories | Gish Jen

Thank you @TheAromaofBooks !! 💜😃 what a great #bookspin prize! Thank you for continuing to keep Litsy spinning.

I had just said to @BarbaraBB in a DM that I wanted this to be the year or the short story, so I am very excited to have this!!

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! I'm glad it arrived safely!! This sounded like an intriguing collection, so I hope you enjoy it!! 6mo

Megabooks @TheAromaofBooks I‘m sure I will!!! 👏🏻👏🏻 6mo

BarbaraBB Is this your short stories shelf? I don‘t recognize many of the titles. I am looking forward to your short story recommendations this year and will certainly get to the new Sittenfeld since I loved

You Think It, I'll Say It: Stories

6mo

75 likes3 comments

Megabooks

Summerwater | Sarah Moss

I reworked my #roll100 list earlier this month, and boy am I happy about it!
1-50 is short story collections I‘d like to reread - like Summerwater and Faraway World.
51-75 is new short story collections on my TBR shelf.
76-100 is other books I‘d like to reread. Aesthetica is an early @AardvarkBookClub selection that I‘m excited to revisit. I hope I can get to all/most of these next month!

PuddleJumper

BarbaraBB Curious about all of them! 6mo

AmyG I am curious to hear what you think of all of them 6mo

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 6mo

61 likes3 comments

Megabooks

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls | Grady Hendrix

pick

Oh yeah! Hendrix delivers way more than a horror novel with this one. It‘s an indictment of the treatment of pregnant teens prior to the 1990s couched in a horror framework. He empathetically tells the story women forced to relinquish their children. When four of these teens meet a witch at the bookmobile, they get more than they bargain for while enacting revenge on the owners, doctors, and staff at this home for weyward girls. Flew through this!

Hooked_on_books I can‘t wait to read this! I just love his books. 6mo

Sace This one is the next hold I‘m requesting at the library! 6mo

intothehallofbooks I‘ve had the biggest book hangover since finishing this one. I can‘t stop thinking about how well done it was! 6mo

92 likes3 comments

Megabooks

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom | Shari Franke

pick

It is terrible when parents use their children for fame and income from social media. Shari‘s mom led the family‘s popular YouTube channel and mined every family moment for content. Then her mother fell in with an aspiring Mormon cult leader around Shari‘s departure for college. Four of her siblings still lived at home through the nightmare of her mother‘s descent. (She‘s now in prison.) I respected Shari for leaving her minor sibs out of it, ⬇️

Megabooks but I definitely want to do a deeper dive into some of the documentaries about this on streaming! 6mo

marleed I never her of the Frankie‘s or their YouTube channel before listening to this audiobook. There is little that scares me more than bastardized faith used as justification for cruelty. Even the state of Utah having a hands-off approach to free-range raising of children was disturbing. 6mo

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Megabooks

Three Lives of Cate Kay | Kate Fagan

pick

Just a great full-cast audiobook. Lots of enjoyable reveals. Characters to love and hate. Not a perfect book but one worth reading

Cate Kay is the pseudonym of an author running from her past. When she cuts ties with a manager, she finds her literary agent wants her to step out of the shadows and lay it all out. This is her memoir told from her perspective and also by people who have loved her, hated her, and manipulated her.

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Megabooks

Isaac's Song (Original) | Daniel Black

pick

Some books are just plain inspiring, and this is one for me. It‘s the companion to Don‘t Cry for Me. In DCFM, Isaac‘s father writes about his parenting mistakes as a traditional Southern Black man in the 1970s raising an effeminate son. Here, Isaac explores the ways his father supported him that he didn‘t realize and appreciate during his father‘s lifetime. It‘s a really beautiful companion set of stories. Highly recommend! ⬇️

Megabooks I finished this right before my therapy appointment yesterday, and I spent a lot of last year working out my past through writing like Isaac does in the book. But I‘ve been a bit lost about what to write this year, so I started talking it out with my therapist, and I‘m going to write some fiction about my future. (In the book towards the end, Isaac starts writing fiction, too.) Anyway, I felt inspired in the night and wrote for almost two hours. 6mo

Megabooks I got character sketches, story ideas, and even outlined a few scenes. The holiday season is always difficult because of my poinsettia allergy, and I‘m really getting burnt out of caregiving for my parents, so I think this is a needed escape. I want to that everyone who supports me and has left kind comments the past several weeks. I‘m sorry for not replying, but I truly appreciate you and this community we‘ve built on Litsy! 6mo

Megabooks I‘m finally starting to get some energy back, so I hope my interactions will be less sporadic! Thanks you and big hugs!! 💜💜💜 6mo

See All 9 Comments

Librarybelle ❤️❤️❤️ 6mo

squirrelbrain ❤️❤️❤️ 6mo

Suet624 This is wonderful news. I‘m happy that you‘re writing. Looking forward! 6mo

Kitta I am so excited to read this, I got it on BOTM too. Great review. 6mo

Kitta I‘ve also been inspired to start writing, but I am thinking of writing a memoir. I don‘t know who would read it but the writing is cathartic. 6mo

Centique Allergies are terrible things to live with and i remember you have other conditions to deal with too 💕 I am so glad that writing is giving you a good outlet. I am sure your writing will be something special xxx 6mo

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Megabooks

Cross My Heart | Megan Collins

pick

The organ recipient getting involved in the donor‘s family‘s life is an enjoyable trope for me, so it was no surprise I rated this highly!

Rosie is a romantic and when she loses a long-term bf, she‘s heartbroken. But she finds out she‘s developed cardiomyopathy, too, and needs a transplant. Her donor is the wife of a local author. She starts corresponding with him by anonymous email, but his wife‘s death may not have been an accident. #aardvark

AardvarkBookClub

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