⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Centered around the disappearance(s) of the Van Laar kids, this is very much a sprawling slow burn of a 70s Adirondack summer. Pay close attention, especially at the beginning. There are a lot of well-fleshed characters, and you need to keep the info straight. I had to take a few notes, but it was worth it. Though I thought one thread was unnecessary, this is otherwise nearly perfect. Brilliant title!
Lives up to the hype, IMO.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Just delightful! I was only vaguely familiar with the “Barefoot Contessa,” but that didn‘t hinder my enjoyment at all. Turns out there are some random similarities from the early years of our marriages, so that was a happy coincidence. Garten is a fantastic, candid storyteller. Highly recommend! So happy I got this in our book club‘s recent “Blind Date with a Book” swap!

BAIL ❌ This kind of writing is exhausting. So much telling with little showing. So basic. A line of dialogue followed by, essentially, stage directions. Over and over for eternity. Once this clicked in my brain, it couldn‘t be undone. And I feel like this could take place anywhere just add some cool creatures; a severe lack of world building. I was quickly reminded of why I rated Iron Flame only 3 stars. After 8 chapters, I‘m out.

⭐️⭐️ Having read a few of Didion‘s journalistic pieces, and the recent title “Didion & Babitz,” I wanted to try one from the latter. Oh, the pretension and ego! Lord. Grapes, baseball, married men, sex, drugs. 1960s California is one of my favorite things to read about, but this will not go down as a favorite. It‘s a one and done for me and Didion‘s frenemy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Realistic portrayal of an American family. Functional and dysfunctional. This story centers on a mom hellbent on gathering her adult kids, who‘ve gone on to make their own questionable choices, home for Christmas as their father‘s health declines. Tragically funny and relatable. The plays on the term “correction” are brilliantly timed and placed. Finally, my first Franzen! Def reading more.

⭐️⭐️ This is meant to be an example of American history, and it succeeds to an extent. However, for such an acclaimed novel, it‘s very surface level. I wanted, and expected, more detail and development. The litany of characters hindered this. Instead, we got tons of descriptions of what folks did, or didn‘t do, but not much about how they actually felt. This caused a disconnect for me as the reader. I did like the ending, though. #bookclub

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you‘re going into thrillers expecting literary perfection, you‘re in the wrong genre, honey. Is it perfect? Of course not, but when I tear quickly through a story, consider its palate-cleaning purpose served. McFadden is pretty reliable for a rapid read. I had fun trying to figure this one out. #kindleunlimited

⭐️⭐️⭐️ The stunning cover is a bit deceiving. It‘s less the story of a fraught friendship and more of just a Babitz love fest. This author is admittedly Team Eve, but does it really need to be a battle of which artist chronicled California better? Can‘t they be complimentary? Having previously only read Didion‘s nonfiction, I struggled to care about Babitz, but in the end, I‘m glad to have stuck it out. Narrowly a pick. Deeper dive coming soon.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ As an elder millennial, I‘m a few years too old to appreciate this fully, as I literally never watched a single show, but it was still a worthwhile read addressing the challenges and successes of various projects. I‘d heard of almost all the shows, but was definitely clueless as to how many folks got their start in the Disney Channel aughts. That kind of blew my mind.

It was a fantastic reading year!

Favorites: Sandwich, In the Weeds, Ask Not, From Here to the Great Unknown, Migrations

The few stats I like to track:
library books — 119
nonfiction — 73
five star reads — 26

I have a “best of 2024” shelf on goodreads if you want to take a look. If we‘re not already connected, I‘m britt_brooke there, too. 🩷🩷

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m not really certain why I picked this up right at this moment. Maybe an Audible sale that I decided to get from the library? I‘m often a frugal reader. Anyway, this was published in 2003, so long before his tragic death. Therefore, it‘s not complete, but learning of his tumultuous childhood, how his love of dogs developed, and how he got started musically was 100% worthwhile. DMX didn‘t narrate, but the guy who did has a similar voice.

🦄🦄🦄🦄 Volume 20! Phoebe goes back in time to visit her dad at her age, via unicorn time travel, of course. On top of being another cute and funny installment, this gently address coping with anxiety.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A recommendation from my trusted librarian friend and fellow #NashvilleLitten. PJ‘s dad passes, prompting a return to her tiny hometown. Realizing she not quite ready to return to university, she hastily grabs a job at local institution, the Chickie Shak. As a KY native, and long-time TN resident, the Southern-isms and slang had me literally laughing out loud. Funny and heartwarming story of losing and finding; of friendship and love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Is it real or fake? Everything is engineered. Set in the not-too-distant future, this novel challenges many current-day issues and what they could become. Stolen cell pregnancy, non-consensual reproduction, bio security guards. I read this as a bit of technological satire. I‘m not sure it was meant to be taken that way, but it worked for me.

A little out of my wheelhouse, but a solid rec from a good friend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Imagine growing up in JFK Jr‘s circumstances. This oral history (full-cast audio is a must!) is a chronological compilation from those who knew him well. A beautiful tribute to his much-too-short life. Kind, charismatic, handsome, and well-liked. Certainly the least icky of the male Kennedys, but impulsive to a fault. So much tragedy bestowed upon one family.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Journalist Julie K. Brown broke the Epstein story which ultimately brought him down. This is a tough read, but a must for those who love narrative nonfiction, and seeing assholes get their, albeit long overdue, comeuppance. The open secret, and the plethora of people who protected him, shows just how cowardly and depraved humans can be.

Not in the database. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Did we need this short story? Not really. But did I read it, and enjoy it, super quickly? Sure did. If you‘ve read the rest of the series, you‘ll want to pick up this little piece of filler.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Couldn‘t put this down! I had to know how the two timelines would converge. I don‘t want to say too much, but definitely recommend this if you want a quick read where you think you know … but do you? 🤨 I feel like McFadden‘s writing has improved, too. That‘s not a knock, just as observation.

We go absolutely overboard on food and gifts, and have no regrets! #NashvilleLittens

#NashvilleLittens Holiday meetup! We *think* this was the 7th annual (minus 2020). Love this tradition and these kind, smart, and truly hilarious ladies!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ “If I had been allowed to walk, it would‘ve been on eggshells.” Such an impactful line. But, I‘m conflicted. No doubt the mom was in the wrong. Like, severely. Lady was the gaslight queen, and had to be mentally unstable. Yet, I don‘t trust Gypsy fully. This was a decent read, but content-wise, there are some obvious inconsistencies. The amount of manipulation from all involved is wild.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A truth-is-stranger-than-fiction absolute romp through Elwood‘s years in public relations. When creating clever spins, slightly untrue, and blatantly false narratives is your job, and your clients are people like freaking Gadaffi, you have some stories. A very engaging read!

I just have to share this text exchange because it totally made my day! A friend and I started an IRL book club 3 years by creating a fb group and opening it up to moms in our county. We have maintained a core group of about 10 members including this amazing woman. Books bonding people and changing lives. She‘s become one of my closest friends, too. 🩷📖✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was never a fan of JoJo‘s music, but I‘m a sucker for a celebrity memoir. This was pretty juicy, y‘all. And anytime an artist can expose the music industry for what it is, or what it has a propensity to be, I say good on them. A solid audiobook, narrated by the author.

🦄🦄🦄🦄 Phoebe #19! Cute collection mostly revolving around friendship and the perplexities of being 9 years old, and being best friends with a very sparkly mythical creature.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cohen seems a bit self-indulgent, and is definitely repetitive, but it‘s never a bad thing to keep an unsolved story in the public eye. Lauren Spierer deserves to be remembered and respected. Sadly, it seems like whatever happened, regardless of the proposed scenarios, likely occurs more than we know. Holding out hope that one day someone finally talks. Because someone absolutely knows.

I‘m the only one awake. This never happens. 📖🎄☕️

Grabbing some chapters at basketball practice. Trying to ignore the squeaks and dribbles! 😂

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you‘ve also cackled at, and identified with, Morgan‘s standup, you‘ll love this! It‘s largely traditional memoir told with sincerity and her signature southern humor. She delves into a few of her most famous clips, too. Must, must, must go audio here. Her drawl is a character of its own, and her delivery is everything. She proves that you‘re never too old to find your way and do what you love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A literal light in the dark saved her life. Rubin and her roommate were asleep in the FSU Chi Omega house when Bundy brutally attacked them. She survived and testified. Incredible will and bravery. With this book, Rubin continues to take back the power. The narrative of the handsome, charming, intelligent killer, and naive, foolish female victims is not it. It‘s simply not true. She‘s no fan of Ann Rule‘s depictions. Read this book.

⭐️⭐️ The #SouthernReachTrilogy did not need a “surprise 4th volume.” The final section was an utterly ridiculous stream of consciousness with what felt like 2000 f-bombs. The story got lost in f*cks. Literally. Truly a bad artistic choice. Additionally, I‘m no less confused now than I was after reading the original trilogy. Unsuccessful expeditions, weird rabbits, cryptic eyes, word-writing moss. I don‘t care about Area X anymore.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ If this had been around 300 pages, it would‘ve been a cute holiday romance, but at nearly 500 pages? A corny holiday contest doesn‘t need that much explaining. Get. To. The. Point. Honey. We all know where it‘s going, let‘s get there efficiently. Giving a third star because I needed a no-brainer, but I‘m still salty about the page count. Not in a hurry to read Quinn again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A family visits their favorite Cape Cod cottage where they‘ve amassed so many memories. The kids are now grown, yet still young. Their interactions are relatable, sweet, brutally honest, and often funny. But there are secrets, too; accidental and intentional. The idea of preemptive grief hit home. Being a human is hard. Identifying with others is paramount. It‘s a quick read, but packed with a ton of heart. One of my best of 2024!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A must read for all women; for all humans. Why would you not strive to learn more about our species? I didn‘t expect to laugh out loud so much. Not in a funny haha way, but at the preposterousness of the things people believed, and continue to not understand, about women and their bodies. Stop telling us our “issues” are psychosomatic simply because you don‘t know, nor care to find out, the answer!! Such a good read.

🦄🦄🦄🦄 Another cute installment! This one focuses on being uniquely you. We all need this reminder now and then. And we‘re never too old for middle grade graphic novels/collections.

⭐️⭐️ Tana French is the slow burn mystery queen, but good lord, was this an absolute slog! Dublin Murder Squad books 1-4 were much more compelling. Was she going for dark academia? The idea of original sin, and a group of girls who vowed to do something they‘re scared of, and also a boy they all desired but who was also an asshole? I just couldn‘t care about this story. I‘ll still read her again, though.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hannah is devastatingly bored and lonely. This delves into the psyche of the women who fall in love with incarcerated killers. Only it‘s not really that serious. I‘m not sure if this is meant to be satire but I choose to see it that way. I‘m not sure what the think. William was more of an idea than a reality to Hannah. She was a bit delulu. A soft pick.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Annual #reread. My seventh time! And I listened to the audio because you really must with Sedaris. Delivery is everything! I‘m recycling last year‘s review: This is definitely not for everyone, but it‘s 100% for me. Dark as hell, but so funny, especially the personal essays.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Anonymous,” AKA a Utah woman named Beatrice Sparks, becomes famous for essentially fabricating hot-button, “diaries” of troubled young people. Did she help define the YA genre? Sure. But that doesn‘t mean her tactics weren‘t problematic. Had the author and publishers been honest, would we still be talking about this? Had we known they were indeed fiction from the onset, would anyone care?

⭐️⭐️⭐️ A frequently challenged book that I finally picked up after it, as well as its debunker, Unmask Alice, were both recently referenced on a podcast (I can‘t remember which one). Originally published by “Anonymous,” this claimed to be a real diary written by a real girl who gets mixed up with all the drugs. The controversy over its authenticity is fascinating, and absolutely influenced my opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Phoebe is figuratively in a bad place, yet literally in a gorgeous hotel overrun by a massive wedding. It is immediately assumed she‘s one of the “Wedding People.” Poignancy and hilarity ensue. A bit of seriousness; a bit of satire. Even the kind of awful characters were amusing. Another solid “Read With Jenna” pick!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In a cult of full of bigots, DC Stephenson was Grand Asshole. In 1920s Indiana, the KKK was infiltrating the government and its agencies under the guise of morality warriors. Charlatans are slithery, and stop at nothing, especially fear, to amass support. The heinous assault of Madge Oberholtzer, and her brave deathbed proclamations, brought this so-called moral, religious man down. A big “thanks” to my FIL for this rec!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Food and other miscellany presented in a loose diary form plus a few sporadic recipes. Many delicious meals, and some not so much, a fair amount of wine, and a ton of familial love. He speaks of food as memories, and I totally felt that; like how a song elicits the same. If you haven‘t read his memoir Taste, start there. I could listen to Tucci read all day. Soothing tone, and he‘s low-key hilarious.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heard about this book on the Murder in America Podcast. A Canadian doctor murders her American doctor boyfriend in Pennsylvania, then flees to Canada. The extradition process is a nightmare, and here‘s the kicker, she‘s pregnant with his baby. Penned by the victim‘s dad, David Bagby, this is well organized and written, and beyond a memoir, it‘s also a commentary on the justice system failures which resulted in the death of a baby.

A sweet acrostic from my 10 year old son on my 43rd (how?!) birthday. 💚 Rizzful, indeed.

With this guy, and a 12 year old, gen alpha slang is killing me a slow and obnoxious death.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had the privilege of hearing Watson speak at Southern Festival of Books. Here, she teaches us the history of Black Portland through three lifelong friends. As they navigate life in general, they speak to micro- and macro-aggressions regarding skin color and body size. An accurate portrayal of female friendship; simultaneously painfully honest and dishonest, with a permeating theme of self-love. Watson‘s a poet at heart and it shows.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loss, love, secrets, lies, and generally too much going on for my taste. But it was entertaining enough. Mourning the death of her mom, then a bad (good) break up, Iris seeks a geographical fix in NYC. She finds herself essentially immersed in a life that once belonged to her mother. Enjoyed the writing, but “liar revealed” tropes stress me the hell out. Nonetheless, it was an easy read to cap off our #bookclub year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “It‘s never a matter of time, but a matter of timing.” A little hokey, but cute. A unique NYC apartment meddles in the love lives of its residents. Obviously, you need to suspend some belief here, but once you do, it‘s a very sweet and thoughtful story about love, change, and grief. Thanks to my good friend Rachel for the rec!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Attenberg is an expert at family dramas. She writes believable, often relatable characters and dialogue. I saw her speak two years ago; she‘s very cool and uniquely stylish. The kind of aura that makes you want grab a coffee with her. Multigenerational family stories are not something I‘m usually drawn to. I think it‘s because they often feel similar to one another. That‘s probably an unfair generalization, but 1-2 a year is all I can do.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A story of knowing what you don‘t want, rather than what you do. Three generations of tough, somewhat shunned, women, all unique in their strengths. Dorothy, aka Donkey, steals the show. I loved the symbolism of the rattler. An ouroboros; the circle of life. I picked this up after hearing Campbell speak at Southern Festival of Books. She‘s so sharp and funny! Meeting her was an absolute pleasure. Will def read more from her!