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everlocalwest

everlocalwest

Joined September 2016

review
everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Charming memoir of a survivor of pediatric cancer who grew up to be an ambassador for St. Jude. Arceneaux eventually became a physician's assistant, landed her dream job at St. Jude, and was ultimately chosen as a team member on Inspiration4 where she was the first pediatric cancer survivor, first individual with a prosthetic limb, and first Louisianian in space. Narrated in a super causal and inspiring way.

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everlocalwest
Soft Core: A Novel | Brittany Newell
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Bailedbailed

DNF at 30% because I did not care at all. I wanted to push through because my coworker loved it but nah.

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everlocalwest
Best of All Worlds | Kenneth Oppel
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Mehso-so

I was excited about this one because it was pitched as 'the next BIG book' from the editors at Scholastic. It's totally serviceable as a quick YA read, but absolutely falls apart if you interrogate its ideas.

everlocalwest The author wants to handle 'big ideas' but it's all so clumsy and ends up being unintentionally ableist and misogynistic (not labels I would pin to the author but to the text). In trying to portray the MC as nuanced he fell into a trap of caricature. Even with a first person POV, you can't have every character serve as a exclusively foil or companion to your main character. 3d
21 likes1 comment
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everlocalwest
Tilt | Emma Pattee
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Mehso-so

MFA fiction about existential fears and the pervasive anxieties of continuing to live as the world falls apart.

Honestly, writing that out it feels like this would have been for me but it just wasn't. I don't feel that Pattee did enough with her narrative. Beyond the voicing of these fears, what is she trying to express here?

Hooked_on_books This might help. Most people in the western part of the PNW of the US are aware of the reality of the Cascadia event, which will happen someday, possibly in our lifetimes, maybe not. Here‘s some info on it: https://energyinfo.oregon.gov/cascadia-event 5d
24 likes1 comment
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

A lovely family novel all about the way cycles repeat and the fact that you can never brush over trauma but must move through it.

My grandmother passed last year and the changes in family dynamics hit my mom and her sisters hard - definitely recommending this one to my mom.

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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

I don't know how to properly review this except to say that the connections to the rest of the series are fantastic, the way Collins speaks to our modern politic is brilliant, comforting, and anxiety inducing, and I would read a book about every year in Panem - bring me into the dark days - I want to hear it!

I understand the criticisms that some connections seem contrived, but I frankly don't care - they worked for me.

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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Lisa Marie's memoir as completed by her daughter after Lisa Marie's passing. This memoir has received a good deal a praise and I had hopes for something relevatory. Behind the fame they'd share something true and universal about family. But that's not really what this is. It's a series of tragedies, a litany of defeat. A soft pick because it is organized well and the blended authorship works well but this just made me so sad.

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everlocalwest
Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen
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Pickpick

I listened to the Whoa!mance Public Access Readalong of P&P over the last few years. One chapter at a time broken up over weeks. Morgan and Isabeau absolutely delight me but unfortunately I'll never be a true Austen fan. I know this is grave heresy.

Pick here for Whoa! commentary.

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3w
31 likes1 comment
review
everlocalwest
A Excellent Host | Chelsea G. Summers
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Pickpick

Misandry, chaos, and cannibalism - you literally cannot ask for more!

24 likes1 stack add
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everlocalwest
Victorian Psycho | Virginia Feito
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Pickpick

What? No! She couldn't possibly!

Just absolutely spot on horror-satire. Recommending this one to all the unhinged girlies with a twinkle in my eye!

review
everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Picked this one up because I've been feeling poorly and needed shorter, more low maintenance reads for a bit. It‘s a grouping of three commencement speeches by a comedian I had not previously heard of. I fully admit that I grabbed the ARC because I thought it was a poetry collection. Satisfying speeches made for comfort reading - an excellent graduation gift for Australians.

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everlocalwest
Unfinished | Carol Oates
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I was so invested in this fantasy webtoon and then it ended, unfinished, years ago - maybe I should check for resolution before I start them...

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everlocalwest
Rosarita | Anita Desai
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Pickpick

Another gorgeous novella of love, loss, and history - this time with mothers and daughters.

I'm really on a roll with these powerful short reads.

26 likes2 stack adds
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everlocalwest
The River Has Roots | Amal El-Mohtar
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Pickpick

An absolutely stunning fairytale of love and loss and sisterhood. I'm so excited for folks to read this one!

25 likes1 stack add
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Everyone knows her as the person who threw the first brick at Stonewall but this biography breathes life into Marsha's story She was so much more than a historical anecdote! From feeding and housing folks in her community through her STAR organization to providing dedicated care to many suffering from AIDS to being a vibrant and vital member of marches and vigils across the decades, Marsha was a force and inspiration whose light continues to shine

25 likes3 stack adds
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everlocalwest
Condor in the Stacks | James Grady
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Mehso-so

I wanted this short mystery about a dangerous plot in the Library of Congress to be more fun. Memo to me: you are not into mystery.

25 likes1 stack add
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everlocalwest
Truckers | Terry Pratchett
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Pickpick

Cute, cozy, comedy - exactly what you are expecting with Pratchett

review
everlocalwest
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Bailedbailed

Putting this one down for a while because it's both a bit simple and a bit dry. I'm sure I'll pick it up again but it's been on my beside stack for ages and I'm not picking it up. On to the next.

review
everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Stunning, overwhelming, heartbreaking

blurb
everlocalwest
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Spent a few days in downtown Denver for a bookseller conference. Found some time to visit a few bookshops and the Sendak exhibit at the Denver Art Museum.

charl08 Looks wonderful! 1mo
21 likes1 comment
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

The book I needed in the moment. A warm blanket of a novel if there ever was one. Found family, light adventuring, abundant kindness...this is a balm for the soul book for sure!

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everlocalwest
Deep Cuts | Holly Brickley
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Mehso-so

Pitched as High Fidelity for the Indie Sleaze Era but it lacks Hornby's charm. I would feel like I'm too old and boring for this one but as an elder millennial I'm actually the target audience here. I was in college listening to these bands. I had a blog. I get it. But like, this did absolutely nothing for me.

I'm going to pass this on to my coworker that's into Sally Rooney. I feel like that's the better comp than Hornby.

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everlocalwest
Murder by Memory | Olivia Waite
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Mehso-so

This novella, a cute cozy mystery set on a generation starship, was a nice read but I felt there was nothing to hold on to. At times, I felt intrigued by ideas Waite presented but they were always sacrificed for brevity (this is a scant 112 pages). It ends up just being cozy space vibes which is fine, I guess, but I've already forgotten what intrigued me about it...

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everlocalwest
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Bailedbailed

This one is for fans of the podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, which I've never heard. Bailed a few chapters in because I was hoping for more Buffy crit but this is more a memoir of the hosts.

That's not to say this is bad, I'm just not the audience for it.

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everlocalwest
A Little Tea Book: All the Essentials from Leaf to Cup | Caroline Paul, Sebastian Beckwith
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Pickpick

Did I mostly come to this book because I wanted to gaze at Wendy McNaughton's always delightful illustrations? Yes. Was I absolutely charmed by the straightforward information on tea history, variations, and culture? Oh, absolutely. A charming book that covers a wide range in quick time.

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everlocalwest
In the Dream House: A Memoir | Carmen Maria Machado
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Pickpick

I don't know that I can even review this one. Carmen Maria Machado has presented the most clever, vulnerable, and researched memoir I have yet to come across. The realities of abuse as chronicled are horrifying but the force of the storytelling is absolutely inspiring. In awe of this, actually.

37 likes2 stack adds
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everlocalwest
Crumbs | Danie Stirling
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Pickpick

Another delightful, cozy webtoon read.

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everlocalwest
Didion and Babitz | Lili Anolik
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Mehso-so

The Babitz bits are largely recycled from Anolik's earlier work and Didion is really just along for the ride as Anolik is only interested in her as a foil to Babitz. But it's a forced comparison. Overall, I wish this had been an extended second edition to Hollywood's Eve rather than its own work.

everlocalwest If I hadn't read Hollywood's Eve first, I'm sure this would have been a pick so bear that in mind. 2mo
HardcoverHearts I agree that the comparison felt forced. I reconciled myself to it as a survey of LA letters through the lens of these very specific and famous women who have come to represent LA. I did cringe frequently at the author‘s insertion of herself into the story. It‘s clear she thinks of herself as an Eve but in some of the depictions of Eve and her last years, she felt more like the “cold hearted” Joan, eager to get the story. 2mo
24 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

'I am ready' ugh, absolutely gutted by that line. This novel is all contradiction for me - I hate humanity, I love Tess, I hate men, I love Hardy. It pulls at my every prejudice and every compassion. Beautiful writing describing horrific treatment. Irony and hypocrisy on open display. Oh, I love it so.

bibliothecarivs Well said! 3w
30 likes1 comment
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

A short, middling webtoon but it sent me down a wiki spiral about the Kumari so it's a pick for that, definitely.

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everlocalwest
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Mehso-so

A fun and quick listen for sure, but I guess ultimately not really my thing because I haven't been itching to pick up more in the series.

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everlocalwest
Make the Season Bright | Ashley Herring Blake
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Listened to this one at Christmas and forgot to review!

It was fine. Cute holiday vibes for sure but I didn't fully trust the romance and I'm a sucker for second chance so this should have been for me. Each individual piece of this novel I enjoyed. The emotional core of it though needed more development.

17 likes1 stack add
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everlocalwest
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Mehso-so

Loved the conceit of this collection, Helen of Troy as beleaguered 90s wife and mother, but the poems just didn't resonate with me.

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everlocalwest
Go Luck Yourself | Sara Raasch
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Pickpick

I may have loved this one even more than the first. This series has such a silly premise but the actual romance of it, the work the narrative serves is phenomenal. I need more of this world. Give me the Queen of Arbor Day falling for the Groundhog's Day Princess. But obviously, give me Iris' HEA immediately.

21 likes1 stack add
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everlocalwest
Bemused | Farrah Rochon
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Pickpick

“We are the Muses. Goddesses of the arts and proclaimers of heroes.“ And this is their backstory. Myth and legend, squabbling gods, and the powers of sisterhood and creativity are in perfect balance in this adventurous tale.
I've read one other title in the Twisted Tales series (also by Farrah, based on The Princess and the Frog) and I find them delightful. These middle grade stories using Disney favorites as inspiration points are a blast to read

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everlocalwest
Iron Flame | Rebecca Yarros
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Mehso-so

Sadly, I enjoyed this one even less than the first.

As a romance reader, I was super disappointed in the spicy scenes. It felt like zero character development happened in those scenes. If the spice doesn't serve the plot and doesn't give us insight into the character I just kinda feel it's unnecessary. But now I probably just sound like a prude.

Powered_By_Plants Totally agree , call me vanilla but I just don‘t think we need that level of detail , the throne scene 🫣 I ended up FF , you can have a bit of romance and passion without all the extra stuff. That aside I loved the story line and preordered the next 😂 2mo
everlocalwest @powered_by_plants yeah, if the intimate scenes don't increase intimacies between the characters I'm just bored by it. And the whole 'my chair, my woman' thing is not my thing. I'll probably just ask my coworkers for spoilers, lol. I gotta know how things go for my lil dragon, Andarna's my fave. 2mo
20 likes2 comments
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everlocalwest
Fourth Wing | Rebecca Yarros
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Mehso-so

Not my thing and I wouldn't have read it but I got called in for the midnight release party at the bookshop and didn't want to be out of the loop. Listened to the audio on 2.5x speed.

I'm here for Andarna though.

review
everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Guzman's book began with her struggling to understand her Hispanic parents political leanings. I appreciated this as something of a black sheep in my own family - how do you love someone that disagrees with you to the point of thinking the vast majority of people who think like you are idiots, demons, or both?

A solid pre-inaugural listen. May we stay curious and humble even in dangerous and divided times.

22 likes1 stack add
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

An account of Davidson's trek across the Australian desert, but it's not an 'intrepid young adventurer' story. She explorers humanity, nature, brutality, race, and gender. The writing is excellent; it's was a bit of a revel. Highly recommend (though there are instances of intense cruelty to humans and camels described, be advised).

I need to go find the original NatGeo article on the trip, she was funded and photographed by the magazine.

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everlocalwest
A Novel Love Story | Ashley Poston
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Mehso-so

Cute premise but I didn't enjoy the execution. As usual, contemporary romance is just not my thing.

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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Decided to start a reread of the chronicles. Then decided it is to be a chronological readthrough of Rice's work. I dunno, I'm just here for the atmosphere.

Forever obsessed with these two idiots though. This is probably my fifth time reading this one. It's interesting though because I haven't picked it up in years and I noticed that I was placing plotpoints from the film into my memories of the novel when they just aren't there.

SpeculativeFemale I always remember discovering these as a teenager. They were formative reading for me! 3mo
everlocalwest @SpeculativeFemale literally same! I remember finding my original copy of Interview in a secondhand bookshop at like 14. 3mo
29 likes2 comments
review
everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Eve Babitz was a whole vibe and you can feel the way Anolik is drawn to her (first through Eve's writing but ultimately in a desperation to tell Eve's story). There's sex and celebrity here, sure, but there's also a great deal about how we make and live our art.

27 likes1 stack add
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Wrapped up the first season of this sweet webtoon about two former childhood friends finding their way back to each other in college.

Do I spend too much time on webtoon? Maybe, but I do find that it keeps me from doomscrolling. Most of these are stories that I would not read in graphic novel form but they are perfectly read as little bites that get me away from socials on my phone.

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everlocalwest
Follow the Stars Home | Diane C. McPhail
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Mehso-so

It wasn't bad but is just a straightforward historical novel with nothing particular to draw me in. A young mother travels with her family on the first steamboat trip down the Mississippi. I can see who this book is for and I'm happy to have it to recommend but it's just not my thing.

review
everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Absolutely essential writings of our nation's founding. Poetry, memoir, letters, reportage - it's all here from the triumphal to the horrific realities of Black life in early America. I took my time with this one dipping in and out over the last year. Baskerville has built a solid collection.

This is actually my first experience with a Library of America title (imma Penguin Classic girlie) and I was genuinely surprised to see it as an ARC.

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everlocalwest
Plain Boy and Prince | Amanda Rahimi
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Bailedbailed

Another webtoon that was recommended to me that I dnf'd.

*I had to add this one to the Litsy database just to say that I did not finish it, which felt mean, but I'm trying to actually track my reading here this year. C'est la vie.*

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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

Another year with the Hingston & Olsen Short Story Advent Calendar. 25 stories to be read as a gift to myself each night in the rampant chaos of the Christmas season. This has become my favorite tradition.

*I am too lazy to add the 2025 edition to the database. We are wintering and being gentle with ourselves so this is fine.*

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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

*stealing this book for review because the chapbook I actually read is not in the database*

So, y'all, every year I pick up this chapbook at the Louisiana Book Festival and I meet these young poets and I am verklempt. These are kids that are wrestling style and huge themes while still in middle and high school. And this isn't cringe moaning of hormonal angst (please note that's a self call out), this is real work they are doing.

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everlocalwest
Female Force: Anne Rice: Anne Rice | Scott Davis, Louie De Martinis
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Pickpick

Found this short, graphic bio of Anne Rice randomly at the bookshop and had to read it. It is narrated by Dracula. I really don't know what to say beyond that. I don't necessarily recommend it, but its sheer existence perplexes and pleases me so it's a pick, I guess.

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everlocalwest
A Book of Days | Patti Smith
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Pickpick

Read this one day by day over the last year. Microdosing inspiration from a beloved artist.

27 likes1 stack add