Recently finished Maggie Smith’s divorce memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Kate Baer’s gorgeous slim volume of poetry And Yet, Nightbitch (after I saw you posting about it - WOW wow wow. It brought up so much grief and rage) I’m currently reading Women Who Run With the Wolves.
I checked out You Could Make This Place Beautiful from the library and it is currently over a week overdue because I cannot bear to part with it. Maggie Smith is such a beautiful writer.
Books I've loved recently: Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals (Alexis Pauline Gumbs); A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir and Manifesto on Reimagining (Rachel E. Cargle); You Could Make This Place Beautiful (Maggie Smith); and I'm rereading Toni Morrison's novels because I didn't always understand them my first time through (current favorite: Sula).
Books I've written recently: unbelieve: poems on the journey to becoming a heretic; jaded: a poetic reckoning with white evangelical christian indoctrination. (they're more fun than they sound—ha!)
August 15, 2023, Barnes and Nobel published my book, “COMPLICATED MINDS, INCLUDING MINE.” Author pen name, Dianne Haaland. Dorrance Publishing. Electronic and digital publications will be coming soon. The story is my story about 24/7 caregivers. After 40 years of marriage, I needed to move Peter to Memory Care. His daughters, my step daughters didn’t agree and sued me for divorce from their father. I won that lawsuit but I live in constant fear of f another lawsuit. The story isn’t over but I had to end somewhere this is my first publication and I will be 81 in December so there are plenty of errors in the book, but I hope you can understand it. I have become interested again in writing so I have another book coming out in 2024. I’m interested in feedback to know if I should pursue an audio reading or wait until I publish my second book in 2024. It is titled, FINDING PIECES AND PEACE. It is about my Native American daughter we adopted in 1971, other adoptions, and foster children.
I'm currently listening to The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty.
If you like fantasy and world-building and feminist themes and the corruption of power and the need for collaboration and beauty and mercy, this is a fantastic series.
I'm normally a book holder, but listening to an amazing narrator correctly pronounce all of the terms and names has been wonderful.
Demon Copperhead (retelling of my fav Dickens’ David Copperfield) is a lengthy one but so well done- still thinking about it months later and realizing that reading David Copperfield in high school subconsciously led me to naming my first born Agnes 🫣
I am completely embarrassed to admit that I had no idea Demon Copperhead was a retelling until my book club met and discussed it. And then I realized I have never read David Copperfield, so that is currently sitting on my TBR. And, yes, this book has not left my mind and it's been months....
I have “all about love: new visions” “the will to change: men, masculinity & love” and “communion: the female search for love” by bell hooks, though I think that’s not the official trilogy? I’ve read parts of all but finished none. So far, “will to change” is my favorite.
Oh I really loved Wordslut, can't wait to see what you think. Currently reading an out of the norm read for me, a historical biography by David Michaleis, titled Eleanor all about Zelda or Roosevelt (warning, 500 pager). My reccos for romance reads are Emily Henry, start with Book Lovers or Happy Place. For self help, I loved Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu and all the books by Brené Brown. On my list to read are Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown, Thanks for Listening by Julia Whelan and I really want to read Emma Straub, not sure where to start w her. 📚📚📚
I enjoyed Book Lovers so much! Have you read anything by Talia Hibbert? I am just finishing up Act Your Age Eve Brown and I found it similarly delightful, especially the explicit neurodiversity of the cast of characters.
The flag, the cross and the station wagon-Bill McKibben
The outsider-Stephen King
Educated-Tara Westover
The glass castle-Jeannette Walls
The beast-Paul Kingsnorth
All great, probably old news for most of you but I was really sick all winter and spring so I’m hungry for my reading. I will definitely be trying some of these titles! Winter is coming to use an over used phrase I just got hip to! I read some reviews but try to rely on word of mouth and I don’t like to go into a book knowing too much.., I like it better when I am surprised! I’m super excited for the new release of sun house by David James Duncan. I loved the River why by him and used to recommend it to any and everyone, so he finally finished this project.
On the spiritual side, I'm reading Mary Oliver's book of essays Upstream, although its more meditations on nature than true spiritual. For that, I've been reading Subtle Sound, the Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart And Huxley's The Perennial Philosophy. For pure entertainment, I've been reading Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry, Cecilia Rabess' Everything's Fine, and Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.
What I’m reading now: The Moon under her Feet- Clysta Kinstler; Intimacy w/God- Keating; Every knee shall Bow- Jess Walter; The Seven Storey Mtn- Merton
I highly recommend Afterlife by Julia Alvarez; Circe by Madeline Miller, Anything by Emma Cline (everything I’ve read by her haunts me); Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead and the French Braid by Anne Tyler.
I’ve been engrossed in the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano! I’m on the third book now. Finlay is a mystery novelist who’s mistaken for a contract killer and accidentally hired to take out another woman’s husband. These books are witty, thrilling, and so entertaining!
Recently finished Maggie Smith’s divorce memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Kate Baer’s gorgeous slim volume of poetry And Yet, Nightbitch (after I saw you posting about it - WOW wow wow. It brought up so much grief and rage) I’m currently reading Women Who Run With the Wolves.
This is a dreamy list! :)
I checked out You Could Make This Place Beautiful from the library and it is currently over a week overdue because I cannot bear to part with it. Maggie Smith is such a beautiful writer.
Books I've loved recently: Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals (Alexis Pauline Gumbs); A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir and Manifesto on Reimagining (Rachel E. Cargle); You Could Make This Place Beautiful (Maggie Smith); and I'm rereading Toni Morrison's novels because I didn't always understand them my first time through (current favorite: Sula).
Books I've written recently: unbelieve: poems on the journey to becoming a heretic; jaded: a poetic reckoning with white evangelical christian indoctrination. (they're more fun than they sound—ha!)
I just heard about Undrowned this week! I want to get my hands on that one.
It’s sooooo good. I’ll be reading it again. 🥰
August 15, 2023, Barnes and Nobel published my book, “COMPLICATED MINDS, INCLUDING MINE.” Author pen name, Dianne Haaland. Dorrance Publishing. Electronic and digital publications will be coming soon. The story is my story about 24/7 caregivers. After 40 years of marriage, I needed to move Peter to Memory Care. His daughters, my step daughters didn’t agree and sued me for divorce from their father. I won that lawsuit but I live in constant fear of f another lawsuit. The story isn’t over but I had to end somewhere this is my first publication and I will be 81 in December so there are plenty of errors in the book, but I hope you can understand it. I have become interested again in writing so I have another book coming out in 2024. I’m interested in feedback to know if I should pursue an audio reading or wait until I publish my second book in 2024. It is titled, FINDING PIECES AND PEACE. It is about my Native American daughter we adopted in 1971, other adoptions, and foster children.
I'm currently listening to The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty.
If you like fantasy and world-building and feminist themes and the corruption of power and the need for collaboration and beauty and mercy, this is a fantastic series.
I'm normally a book holder, but listening to an amazing narrator correctly pronounce all of the terms and names has been wonderful.
Demon Copperhead (retelling of my fav Dickens’ David Copperfield) is a lengthy one but so well done- still thinking about it months later and realizing that reading David Copperfield in high school subconsciously led me to naming my first born Agnes 🫣
I am completely embarrassed to admit that I had no idea Demon Copperhead was a retelling until my book club met and discussed it. And then I realized I have never read David Copperfield, so that is currently sitting on my TBR. And, yes, this book has not left my mind and it's been months....
Shout-out to bell hooks’s Love Trilogy! and any of her other essays on spirituality that show up across her collections
Oooooo I need a starting place with bell hooks! I will nab this one!
I have “all about love: new visions” “the will to change: men, masculinity & love” and “communion: the female search for love” by bell hooks, though I think that’s not the official trilogy? I’ve read parts of all but finished none. So far, “will to change” is my favorite.
I’m embarrassed to have only read two on your list so bookmarking this hell out of this
Oh I really loved Wordslut, can't wait to see what you think. Currently reading an out of the norm read for me, a historical biography by David Michaleis, titled Eleanor all about Zelda or Roosevelt (warning, 500 pager). My reccos for romance reads are Emily Henry, start with Book Lovers or Happy Place. For self help, I loved Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu and all the books by Brené Brown. On my list to read are Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown, Thanks for Listening by Julia Whelan and I really want to read Emma Straub, not sure where to start w her. 📚📚📚
I had my eye on Book Lovers for a summer read but haven't picked it up yet! The only Emma Straub I've read is This Time Tomorrow and it was terrific.
Okay not Zelda, typo! Eleanor Roosevelt
I enjoyed Book Lovers so much! Have you read anything by Talia Hibbert? I am just finishing up Act Your Age Eve Brown and I found it similarly delightful, especially the explicit neurodiversity of the cast of characters.
Oh thank you! I need one in a similar romantic vein after I finish this whopper of a biography. And Emily Henry's character dev is so fun.
Gaia and God - also by Radford Reuther is incredible!
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende is a beautiful and wonderful novel.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano was amazing!
I just ordered the Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour and really look forward to reading that!
The pale faced lie-David Crow
The saints of swallow hill-Donna Everhart
The flag, the cross and the station wagon-Bill McKibben
The outsider-Stephen King
Educated-Tara Westover
The glass castle-Jeannette Walls
The beast-Paul Kingsnorth
All great, probably old news for most of you but I was really sick all winter and spring so I’m hungry for my reading. I will definitely be trying some of these titles! Winter is coming to use an over used phrase I just got hip to! I read some reviews but try to rely on word of mouth and I don’t like to go into a book knowing too much.., I like it better when I am surprised! I’m super excited for the new release of sun house by David James Duncan. I loved the River why by him and used to recommend it to any and everyone, so he finally finished this project.
Great list! I went straight to Audible and got “When Women Were Dragons”!
Don’t laugh, but sometimes children’s books inspire me with an equally profound message for my adulthood:
“You’re Here for a Reason” and
“The Crown on Your Head”
by Nancy Tillman
“What Do You Do With a Problem?”
by Kobi Yamada
I absolutely agree!
On the spiritual side, I'm reading Mary Oliver's book of essays Upstream, although its more meditations on nature than true spiritual. For that, I've been reading Subtle Sound, the Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart And Huxley's The Perennial Philosophy. For pure entertainment, I've been reading Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry, Cecilia Rabess' Everything's Fine, and Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.
What I’m reading now: The Moon under her Feet- Clysta Kinstler; Intimacy w/God- Keating; Every knee shall Bow- Jess Walter; The Seven Storey Mtn- Merton
I highly recommend Afterlife by Julia Alvarez; Circe by Madeline Miller, Anything by Emma Cline (everything I’ve read by her haunts me); Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead and the French Braid by Anne Tyler.
I’ve been engrossed in the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano! I’m on the third book now. Finlay is a mystery novelist who’s mistaken for a contract killer and accidentally hired to take out another woman’s husband. These books are witty, thrilling, and so entertaining!
This is a new-to-me rec! Thanks!
My book club is reading “Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng. Poetic. Entertaining. Everything I’m looking for in fiction!