I adored this. The characters and their messiness and growth, the Midwest setting, and so much sweetness and humor (alongside plenty of complex issues, painful moments, and emotional depth that felt really authentic) made this such a joy to read. Even when a few plot turns strained credulity, I quickly came around to loving those choices made by St. James (whose work I've appreciated since her A.V. Club days!). Fantastic audio, too.

Unintentionally color-coordinated birthday impromptu Dollar Tree book haul! (Truest birthday wish: more time and bandwidth for reading them/enjoying all of my bookish pastimes! 🙃)

Wow, 9 years!! 😮 It‘s such a gift to connect with you all here. This joyful space has been there for us through some very interesting times, hasn‘t it? Looking forward to many more happy moments here!

Thought I should get this off the ol' TBR before checking out Wild Dark Shore. WOW - fantastic. Emotionally engaging, deep in its themes/messages, and riveting in a would‘ve-stayed-up-'til-3-AM-to-finish-if-my-body-let-me sort of way. A top read of 2025 so far for sure.

Adored this and found it a perfect and much-needed escape from reality! I especially loved that Linda Holmes narrated the audio version herself. My favorite of her three novels so far!

Thinking I may need to shift to books that are about escaping our current reality, as I keep reading the opposite and it‘s heavy. 🙃 But this is a good one, by a well-known sociologist (still doing vital work in her mid-eighties!) and based on ethnographic research where she deeply studies and truly listens to those whom we might perceive as voting against their own interests. A powerful takeaway is Hochschild‘s assertion that many (who ⬇️

This is a really accessible yet info-packed read that I'd certainly recommend to anyone hoping to learn more about the history of White Christian Nationalism (which I wish wasn't yet again/still/[endlessly?!] such an urgent social problem, but here we are 🙃). Jemar Tisby is excellent wherever he writes/presents his ideas, including his Substack (jemartisby.substack.com). He narrates the audio beautifully, too.

While it took me a second to get into this one, I ended up finding it a really affecting read and one that tells an important story about the impact of incarceration on partners, families, and communities. I enjoyed Harris's writing (especially in the latter 50-75%) and thought she did a great job of blending memoir and sociological analysis (one of my favorite things to find in nonfiction).

So grateful that horrible and heartbreaking January is over! 😫 A bright spot in mine, though, was listening to this, which is every bit as wise and inspiring as you would imagine. I really liked the structure and how it blended memoir, reflection, and stories of other brave folks. The audio was beautifully narrated by the author. Reading this soothed me and made me more hopeful.

I was so bummed to not finish this in time during #CampLitsy and therefore was thrilled to see it on @monalyisha‘s #AuldLangSpine list; will now have to go back and read the discussion that I missed! I found this very emotionally engaging, and the writing had me vividly picturing characters, setting, and scenes throughout. Have the film rights to this been purchased? 🤔 Would be great on screen.

Liked this one a lot! Though it pleased me perfectly well as a quirky, maybe-unlikable-but-also-relatable characters + marriage/family story, I thought it was also sneakily deep in its engagement with social issues, including race, culture, and politics.

Another gem found in a neighborhood #LittleFreeLibrary ! I‘d never even heard of this one, but if Everett writes it I will read it. Grateful today to be outside in the currently fresh air in San Diego, even as I‘m feeling so much sadness for our northern neighbors, including some good friends who lost family homes. 💔

What a very good book to start any year with (and this year in particular). So glad that @monalyisha added this 2024 reread of hers as a bonus to her #AuldLangSpine list! It found it delightful and comforting and really liked May‘s writing. Parts about night waking, hibernating, and singing were among my faves, and I loved the interludes about animals, insects, and birds. Great on audio but I look forward to a reread in print someday.

Fun #LittleFreeLibrary find in my neighborhood! Somehow I‘ve never heard of this book before, but it sounds right up my alley. The other picture is for @monalyisha , who asked me to share a photo of some scallop shell ornaments my husband and I made many years ago when we lived more in her neck of the woods. (An abalone one made it into the shot too; those are the best because the holes come naturally pre-drilled! 😄)

Very glad to have fit in this brilliant pick from @Deblovestoread ‘s #AuldLangSpine list! It was a brutal listen in some ways, between the violence, racism, painfully still relevant political references, and the constant use of the n word. Yet it was also really funny and clever and absorbing. And of course it was, because Everett wrote it. My third of his books this year and I can‘t wait to keep going.

Beyond excited to dig into the amazing @monalyisha 's #AuldLangSpine list in the new year! I've read (and largely loved) 6.5 (didn't finish Bear during #CampLitsy due to time, not disinterest!), including the tagged, which I read because it was on @Deblovestoread 's #AuldLangSpine list for 2024! 🦈❤️ Quite a few others were already on my TBR. Feeling lucky with these titles to choose from!

I loved this GBBO-inspired book so much!! The PERFECT cozy holiday read for me (it doesn‘t exclusively take place around the holidays, but the Christmas bits were great). Plentiful and detailed recipe descriptions and such a sweet story in all the ways. Great audio narration, too.

I‘m dreadfully late in posting about but extremely grateful for receiving this much longed-for book!!! 😍😍😍 I‘m a huge fan of Julia Turshen and can‘t wait to read this one cover to cover and then probably make practically every recipe in it because they will all be simple and delicious. Thank you SO much for your generosity, Danielle, and I hope you had a lovely Jokabokaflod!!! #JolabokaflodSwap

I've submitted grades for all the classes I teach (🎉 🥳 💃) and so am thrilled to be shifting focus to all things Christmas, festive, and fun!! One thing that buoyed me during these last few busy weeks was reading this fantastic pick from @Deblovestoread 's #AuldLangSpine list!!! It was so very good. I don't know what I thought this book was about, but it was nothing like what it really was about. A truly lovely read. Thanks, Deb!! ❤️

Received and sent my #JolabokaflodSwap packages over the past few days. This swap is such a blessedly reliable joybringer! Thanks as always to @MaleficentBookDragon . 💚❤️

Adored this and would put it right up there with the (many) other Erdrich books I've loved. Totally invested in the characters, loved the setting (time and place), and her writing just works for me every time.
This would absolutely have made my #AuldLangSpine list had I not finished it the day after filling out the form, @monalyisha !!

I love Clint Smith‘s writing. This includes some of his keen and straightforward social analysis, always with an eye on historical context. But also a lot of sweetness about young fatherhood.

One of the most meaningful, empowering, and visionary books I‘ve read in some time. It was in part a call to action re: 2016, so it‘s….super relevant. Valarie Kaur is an important voice for right now, and always. Looking forward to reading her recently published book soon (tagged in comment ⬇️).

I‘ve always liked Ina. I enjoyed watching a feminist perspective inform her personal and professional growth. But this is a light pick for me. I think I just wasn‘t the right reader for this book, at least not in this moment in time/history.
Further thoughts in spoiler comment below! Not spoilers per se, but I wouldn‘t want to mar anyone's experience of escaping into this one, as the food (and many other) aspects are delightful!

This was a shockingly perfect escapist read for me over the weekend! Enjoyed it so much more than The Plot. Something about spending time with the unhinged female protagonist, perhaps...

This one exceeded my expectations! Liked it a lot. My review would echo pretty much everything @ImperfectCJ recently posted about it, including that I've never seen a single episode of One Tree Hill (but now I'm kind of contemplating it as an age-inappropriate comfort bingewatch...??). I also relate to elements of the author's Christian upbringing and her Broadway musical nerdery.

Finally finished a book after completing ZERO (😭) in October, mostly due to work and also consuming so much news. Still very busy at work, but I‘ll have more time for books since I‘ll be avoiding the news for the next few weeks/months/years…😭😭😭
Anyway, this was great! My first Chuck Wendig, had to try due to the apple theme. So many hours on audio, but I was engaged throughout. Got super invested in the characters! I‘ll read more from him.

Doing so little reading lately thanks to so much working! 😣 But this lovely bookmail from Mariner certainly makes me hope some free time magically appears soon!! 😍

I‘m listening to Colored Television right now (so far so good!) and realized I didn't review this one, which I read earlier this month. I loved it! Instantly a fan of Senna's writing. I even enjoyed the ending, which I understand many didn‘t. Fun to have a new beloved author (who's married to another new beloved author 😁).

Still deciding how I feel about this one! Certainly thought-provoking, and I loved the characters and many aspects of the story/ending. What I can say for sure is that I really enjoyed Alam‘s writing, as I did in Leave the World Behind, and I‘m hopeful to check out his backlist.

Also was delighted to see @Sara_Planz featured in a Riverhead email about this book! ❤️

Highly recommend this newish release by one of the most effective public scholars in my field (sociology) right now. Calarco went somewhat viral a few years ago with her quote “Other countries have social safety nets; the U.S. has women.” This book expands on that and features great analysis and insights from extensive research/in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of American women. It‘s SO readable, too. (And it happens ⬇️

Great read with many standout journalistic pieces about true crime as a part of culture. Loved the audio, very well-narrated by Xe Sands, but needed my own copy for highlighting. Worth reading just for Rabia Chaudry‘s smart introduction, which includes gems like this: “I have found nothing more effective than popular true crime media to both educate myself and others about systemic injustices and challenge our own deeply held misperceptions.”

A beautifully written memoir about the often challenging younger years of a gay man who had an unstable upbringing (financial and otherwise) in Appalachia, attended an Ivy League school, and navigated a really fraught relationship with his mom. I read via audio and am sorry he didn‘t do the narration, because I bet he would‘ve been brilliant.
(He was wonderful on @kdwinchester ‘s Read Appalachia podcast!)

One of our neighborhood library branches dubbed (by me) The Branch with THE Best Books for Purchase Selection living up to its name once again. ($5 total.)

FANTASTIC book - absolutely one of my faves of the year so far. A brilliant and open-hearted perspective on grammar and how it relates to culture/context, and super educational-yet-fun! I now know I'm a “wordie” — someone who loves words and grammar rules but also kind of loves breaking the rules and viewing them as flexible and dynamic (as opposed to a “grammando“ [self-defining! 🤣], which I tended toward when I was younger). ❤️

I thought this was outstanding. Incredibly readable and so respectful of the humanity and complexity of its subjects. Valuable in its demonstration not only of how people fall into conspiracy belief systems, but also of the vital importance of strengthening our empathy skills — and our mental health support structures/resources.

Another thoughtful addition to the escape-from-Christian-patriarchy memoir canon (generously sent to me by Eerdmans Publishing). And the first one I‘ve read that‘s partially set in Hawaii, which was super interesting! Lots to admire about West‘s writing, and the print book itself is lovely — gorgeous textured cover and surprisingly heavyweight in a pleasant way despite being under 250 pages.

Great book! 😬

Hype-deserving, for sure! Loved the mystery and setting, but more than that loved the female characters and how their experiences, though constrained in a few times and places, were so expansive in what they conveyed about being a woman. Excited for Liz Moore and about the well-earned praise she's already getting for this!

I will always read and love Anne Lamott. This one was delightfully all over the place, as is her way, and, as is also her way, full of humor and honest self-reflection (including about her foibles and mistakes) and nuanced thoughts on religion that make me revisit my own baggage and rethink my related assumptions.

Loved this!! So funny and clever, pulls no punches yet heartwarming and hopeful (if idealistically so). It‘s also full of compassion and recognizes the humanity of and forces that shaped each and every character (and their culture). Great January LaVoy narration, too. 🩵

Sweet graphic novel that was nowhere on my radar until seen on a list of nominees for our College Book program. Taught me some new things about Buddhism (albeit basic ones - I need to learn more!). And as a casual meditator, I appreciated a new-to-me metaphor for those thoughts that always pop up - like a leaf falling on your head that you can gently place into the river and watch float away.

Moving and well-written, and well-narrated by the author. It made me realize I‘ve come to expect memoirs by those who‘ve left (or at least are critiquing) Evangelical/fundamentalist cultures to also be deep dives into the specifics of those cultures and their institutions. This really isn‘t that, and of course that is 100% okay. It‘s her story to tell exactly as she wanted to, and I admire her openness about the many challenges she's faced.

Almost set this aside because Part 1 was painful! Hearing so much detail about how an accomplished, intelligent woman (who shared my career field) fell hard for a manipulative creep in an online dating setting was rough. But I‘m glad I kept going because the story overall was riveting (and infuriating), and Akbari is a great writer. In the end, definitely a pick!

I really enjoyed this one! Lots to say about social class, and such an interesting intersection of worlds (community college, pro wrestling, OnlyFans, a little bit of church sprinkled in) and life experiences. Great writing, quite funny, and fantastic audio narration by Elle Fanning. Certainly looking forward to seeing her play Margo in the series alongside Nicole Kidman!

I am both very much looking forward to this one and also intrigued by this cartoony cover on a memoir that I know will be tackling some tough topics. New trend?

Overall a fun read! A lot of Tosi‘s ideas around food, joy, and the unique pleasures and powers of dessert resonate with me - as I suppose might be true for anyone who would choose to read a book with this title! 😁 I wasn‘t as into some of the self-help/business-y parts but loved the memoir elements and bits of Milk Bar history, and especially the theme of how dessert often connects us to the women who raised us.

I know this might not “count” as a book, being an abridged version/dramatized production, but it will be only my second book of May, so I need to take the win that it‘s listed here on Litsy! 🤣 It really was excellent and a nice refresher since I haven‘t reread this one since 2017. (Also very excited that my hectic university teaching quarter will be ending in a couple of weeks - will absolutely feel the thrill of summer reading this year!)

Loved it. Really I love reading anything she writes (though I'll admit I still haven‘t read Wordslut!). I‘ve seen reviews grumbling that in this she just gathers well-known social science concepts in one readable place…and?! That‘s a great thing to do, in my book! Furthermore, these are not well known by everyone, and having a nicely organized compendium of such concepts blended with reflective memoiry bits is just a good, thought-provoking time.

An impressive find in one of my neighborhood Little Free Libraries!