#author: jenette mccurdy

[misireads]

Non-fiction books i read in 2024

i don't write about non-fiction on this blog, for several reasons really, but simply put i don't feel the need to do so. i rarely score them on goodreads since there's no need to judge the things i typically evaluate in fiction. but the purpose of this blog is to document and shortly describe things i've read, for myself so i'd remember their contents better, so here's a simplified list of non-fiction books i have read this year.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy [ audiobook, listened in finnish ] the life story of an ex child actress who only started acting because her narcissist mother made her. she eventually broke through in a popular kids' show and suffered from bulimia and other illnesses throughout the experience. i didn't know jennette from before, i don't know if icarly was ever a thing in my country at all (or then i'm just too old to know it), but by the end of the book i felt like i thoroughly knew her. read in january.

Pienin yhteinen jaettava ("The smallest common dividend") by Pirkko Saisio [ physical book, read in finnish ] the author's memoirs about her childhood. a collection of small moments from her life. i don't recall liking anything about this much but it was a fast read. read in january/february.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote [ physical book, read in finnish ] a work of true crime about a murder case from 1959 when two men murdered a 4-member family in kansas. i had no idea this was true crime when i went in, i thought i was reading fiction. only realised the truth at the end lol. read in february.

Luonto pakastimessa ("Nature in a freezer") by Anu Silfverberg [ physical book, read in finnish ] a collection of the author's columns. i think she's an activist and has a provocative tone on purpose and i'm not really into that. some articles i agreed with (mostly criticism of religions), some i didn't. there was an especially dumb text about how all zoos are evil when in reality they do nature reservation work in my country. read in february/march.

Afghanerne ("The Afghans") by Åsne Seierstad [ audiobook, listened in finnish ] a deep dive into the contemporary history of afghanistan, including the birth of taliban and the events of 9/11 from the other side, through the lives of a selection of afghan people. this was very story-like, sometimes i wasn't even sure if we're still going non-fiction. i learned a lot about afghans and the history of afghanistan. read in march.

Solkattens år ("A sun cat's year") by Merete Mazzarella [ physical book, read in finnish ] a collection of the author's thoughts on aging and finding a new romantic partner in her later years. most of the book is short memoirs about things that have happened to the author, or her thoughts on books she's read, or other such things. it was pretty mundane, a fast little read, but just a bit bleak for someone in their 30s like me. read in june/july.

Ruumiin ylittävä ääni ("A voice that surpasses the body") by Tuomas Aitonurmi [ audiobook, listened in finnish ] a collection of essays about different topics: bullying and self-esteem, masculinity, music, writing, horses. the only thing they all had in common, apart from the author himself, was that there's a ton of references to other people's works. another fast little book, but all the vague referencing of the randomest things seemingly for the joy of referencing kinda reminded me of house of leaves tbh which made it unintentionally comical. but this made me realise i rather enjoy non-fiction where you just get to learn the author and their thoughts and life. kinda feels like getting a new friend. read in september.

Ulkopuolisuudesta ("About being an outsider") by Elina Kujala [ audiobook, listened in finnish ] several different angles to the experience of feeling like an outsider, mostly through examples from the author's own life, but she has also interviewed other people for variety. the topics vary from social anxiety and general introversion to being LGBT, being disabled, being a woman, being neurodivergent and such. i relate to a lot in here but it was also just a decently interesting, short listen that i picked up from a magazine article. the interview parts feel very brief, and sometimes she goes a bit off-topic with her diary entries. also this is a storytel original i.e. made for the subscribers of an audiobook app, probably as a direct commission from the app to the author, so… well, i don't know if that means anything really, but yeah. read in september.

Sex substanser som förändrar ditt liv / High on Life by David JP Phillips [ audiobook, listened in finnish ] a swedish cishet family man tells me i can get more oxytocin by stopping at the door when returning from work every day and listening to a nice song before i go home so i can feel the hugs of my children and hear the loving words of my wife better. it's a self-help book about how to have more dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and all the other good stuff in your life. though the majority of the examples are unrelatable to me, this was quite informative for being a short little self help, to be fair. this also made me realise i'm actually doing pretty great and don't need to deliberately cook up "angel cocktails" to feel good. read in november.

Kaksipäinen koira ja muita eläimiä Neuvostoliiton tieteessä ("A two-headed dog and other animals in Soviet science") by Iina Kohonen [ audiobook, listened in finnish ] the title is misleading, there are no other animals. just dogs. about 2/3 of this was about the russian surgeon who experimented with dogs, the rest was about soviet space dogs. morbidly fascinating in a way and i'm always here for more reasons to hate russia, but i wanted more animals and less trivia about old russian scientists or meta about the writing process and the author talking about her own thoughts. read in november/december.

[pertinax--loculos]

Books Read in 2024 (so far)

(Looking at my Goodreads, where I've been keeping track of this, I apparently only started keeping track in March? But I guess that's fair, there's a chance I didn't read anything before that. So let's go with that. ^_^)

The Foxhole Court, Nora Sakavic

The Raven King, Nora Sakavic

The King's Men, Nora Sakavic

-> These kicked off my reading binge for the year. Also, how have I never read them before? Because my god. Instant favourites. Don't talk to me.

Like Real People Do, E.L. Massey

-> My attempt to recapture the All for the Game vibes. It failed. The book was okay, though.

John Dies at the End, Jason Pargin

This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It, Jason Pargin

What The Hell Did I Just Read, Jason Pargin

If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe, Jason Pargin

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, Jason Pargin

Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick, Jason Pargin

Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia, Jason Pargin

-> Some of these are technically rereads; JDatE, Spiders, and the first Zoey book. Regardless, Pargin is an insta-buy for me.

Leech, Hiron Ennes

-> Tumblr recommendation off a random post. Very good.

American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

-> I enjoyed this. If you can say that about this book. Taking it as what it is, I thought it was very well done.

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry, Alex Ritany

-> Go check out @aritany if you haven't already! Wonderful human, incredible writer, new book coming out soon!

Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One, Jack Townsend

-> Trying to recapture some of Pargin's bizarre humour. Pretty similar, and I did enjoy it, but I was starting to move away from that vibe, and to be honest this just wasn't as good as Pargin.

Maze-Born Trouble, Ginn Hale

-> My only complaint with this book is it was too fucking short. 😠 Astonishing worldbuilding and a very rich story for what amounts to a novella. Love.

Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan

-> Following on from the scifi of Pargin's Zoey series and Maze-Born Trouble. This was good. I doubt I'll read more in the series because from the blurbs they're quite disparate, but holy hell the world that was built was incredible.

Mystic River, Dennis Lehane

-> Complicated reason why I read this that actually has to do with OOC. Also technically a reread, from a while ago. Love Lehane, though, and this as a standalone is very good. Has some examples of omniscient POV that I would almost classify as head-hopping that actually works, and as a thriller, so an interesting read for a writer as well.

Educated, Tara Westover

-> The beginning of my brief nonfiction binge.

I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jenette McCurdy

-> Because, obviously.

Eggshell Skull, Bri Lee

-> Highly HIGHLY recommended. Some heavy stuff regarding sex offences and the legal system, and quite centred in Australia, but a brilliant nonfiction read.

The Sunshine Court, Nora Sakavic

The Foxhole Court, Nora Sakavic

The Raven King, Nora Sakavic

The King's Men, Nora Sakavic

-> Why yes, I did see that The Sunshine Court had been released and immediately read it, then immediately reread All for the Game, because what the fuck else was I gonna do? Not reread it? C'mon.

Icebreaker, A.L. Graziadei

-> Note the author there, cuz I know there's another book by the same title. This one was excellent. Still not the AftG vibes I was seeking, but closest I've found reading something immediately after finishing that series.

The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley

-> I know everyone's talking about it. Read it anyway.

Summer Sons, Lee Mandelo

-> currently reading. Currently loving.

...and that's 27 so far this year -- 23 if you don't count rereading books I read for the first time this year. 0.o Still, not a bad effort!

If you'd like more info or just wanna chat about any of this books, feel free to hit me up. Also if you've got this far without being intimidated by my awful formatting choices, congrats! And thankyou. ^_^

[lakecountylibrary]

LCPL Wrapped: 2023

We waited until the very last moment of 2023 to gather our numbers, and now here they are! The most checked-out books of 2023!

Want to compare to 2022? Here's 2022 wrapped.

(Images are lists of books; each list is typed out in the post under the image.)

Top Adult Fiction:

Welcome back returning champ Jodi Picoult!

1: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan 2: It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover 3: The House of Wolves by James Patterson and Mike Lupica 4: Identity by Nora Roberts 5: Without a Trace by Danielle Steel

Top Adult Nonfiction:

Novelty is the name of the game; none of these titles were on last year's list!

1: Spare by Prince Harry 2: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry 3: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy 4: The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama 5: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Top YA, Kids', and ebooks/audiobooks under the Read More ⬇️ Hit that jump to see where Suzanne Collins ended up this year, and find out which author walked away with an ENTIRE category!

Top Adult eBooks and eAudiobooks:

Welcome back returning champ Colleen Hoover!

1: It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover 2: Verity by Colleen Hoover 3: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover 4: Happy Place by Emily Henry 5: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Top YA Print Books:

Suzanne Collins pulls into 1st and 2nd place over last year's 2nd and 3rd while Jenny Han holds steady at 5th!

1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 2: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 3: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 4: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 5: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Top YA eBooks and eAudiobooks:

Welcome back returning champ Jenny Han!

1: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han 2: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 3: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 4: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin 5: It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Top Kids' Print Books:

AKA We Hope You're Pleased With Yourself, Mr. Kinney

1: Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney 2: Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney 3: Big Shot by Jeff Kinney 4: Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure by Jeff Kinney 5: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

Top Kids' eBooks and eAudiobooks:

Jeff Kinney's The Deep End pulls into 1st from last year's 4th!

1: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney 2: Mary Anne's Bad Luck Mystery by Ann M. Martin 3: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 4: Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney 5: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey

[freewayshark]

2, 6, 13, & 19? <3

top 5 books of all time?

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Tithe by Holly Black

World War Z by Max Brooks

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

what books have you read in the last month?

March has been a slow reading month for me but I have read Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey, I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy, Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells, and I’m currently reading the Stand-In by Lily Chu

do you have a goodreads?

I do! That can be found here!

most disliked popular books?

Oh man, this might be a deep cut for anyone not on bookblr or any of that circa 2016 but This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp was so so popular and I will never understand why because it was hot garbage. To this day when I see that author has a new a book out or something I boil with rage a lil bit

Send me more book asks!

[onebluebookworm]

January 2023 Book Club Picks

Emily Goes to Exeter by Marion Chesney: Hannah Pym - faithful former housekeeper to the late Lord Clarence - has just received the surprise of her life - a legacy of five thousand pounds, enough to retire and live the life of adventure she’s always dreamed of. She starts with a trip to Exeter on the London Quicksilver stagecoach, where she meets a cast of colorful characters - the shy Mrs. Bisley, the arrogant and annoying Cap. Seaton, the respectable lawyer Mr. Fletcher, the motherly Mrs. Bradley, and (most intriguingly of all) the spoiled Emily Freemantle and her rakish, brooding husband-to-be, Lord Harley. When a snowstorm strands the passengers of the Quicksilver at an inn, Hannah uses it as the perfect excuse for a little matchmaking.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: George and Lenny are an unlikely pair - a small, quiet, planner and a hulking man with the intellect of a child - yet together, they have formed a family. Together they travel the California countryside, looking for work, hoping to one day scrape together enough money for a farm all their own, where they can finally “live of the fatta the land”. After finding work at a new ranch and befriending another hand named Candy, their dream may finally be in sight. But all of it is wrenched away in one tragic moment.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy: Jenette was six years old when she had her first audition, her mother’s words about wanting her only daughter to be a star ringing in her ears. She knew it would make her mother happy. All Jenette ever wanted to do was make her mom happy. So when she started talking about “calorie restriction”, Jenette did it. She went along with the at-home makeovers and acting lessons and sudden, frightening mood swings whenever her mom didn’t get her way. She shared everything with her mother - her diaries, her emails, her income, even showers. But then her mom died, and Jenette was left with what her mother had given her - anxiety, depression, self-loathing, an eating disorder - and no idea how to work through it on her own. In her heartbreaking and sometimes hilarious memoir, McCurdy takes us through the journey of beginning therapy and learning how to recover from all that her mother left her with.

Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose: Eleven men believe the boy is guilty of murdering his father. Only Juror Eight believes there is some reasonable doubt. But a unanimous vote has to be reached - guilty or not guilty. What follows is a tense drama of one man’s painful struggle to see justice properly done in the face of indifference, prejudice, and rage.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman: William Goldman is at a loss. He wants to share his favorite childhood story with his son, the same story his father read to him as a child, but comes across an unexpected problem - his father skipped over all the boring, historical minutiae that the author S. Morgenstern spent hundred upon hundreds of pages on. Goldman, determined to get his son to experience his favorite book, decides to rewrite the book himself, just as his father told it to him, to make sure the stirring romance, the side-splitting humor, and the action-packed adventures of Princess Buttercup, Westley, Inigo Montoya, and Fezzik the Giant are told in full, glorious detail. 

[slaughter-books]

Day 2: JOMPBPC: TBR This Month

My immediate TBR for January, 2023! 💙

[queer-ragnelle]

WithCindy made two videos about how terrible Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage is. I haven’t read it myself. But I agree based on the excerpts, the inclusion of which is one reason I really appreciate Cindy’s videos specifically. I won’t rag on a book I haven’t read.

However, I heard movie rights were sold. So I went to Goodreads to examine the general consensus. Baby Teeth was a 2018 nominee in both the Goodreads Choice Awards and for a Bram Stoker Award. But…many of early 4/5 star ratings appear to have been bought. Like the reviewers admit they got an Advanced Reader Copy (arc) from the publisher.

I could believe these to be genuine reviews if they were truly reviews. But most of them are just a regurgitation of the synopsis in different words, clicking the star rating, and throwing it onto their arc shelf.

This reopens a stubborn wound that won’t heal. Books like this and Lightlark by Alex Aster discourage me. As an artist, a writer, a creative, it’s so hard to avoid feeling hopeless. Like art is dead. It feels like everything is just manufactured for consumption, worsened when a person’s nepotism and influence artificially inflates their success. And of course this defines success as notoriety and monetary gain. Ideally people should be able to create for the joy of it. And if that thing resonates with others, then by their own merit and talent, they should earn awards and appropriate compensation for it. False promises shouldn’t be rewarded with grotesque displays of wealth.

I don’t want to see beautifully crafted stories flop because that person lacks a TikTok influence or a publisher with the means to foist free arcs onto people in exchange for “honest” reviews. But I literally don’t know what to do. The only way I can think of to combat this is utilizing libraries. Purchase zines and novels from authors directly. Stick to shopping locally, ordering titles that aren’t immediately available through that avenue, and waiting instead of defaulting to Amazon. But what else can be done? I’m genuinely asking.

[milfreads]

milf★‘s Favorite Reads of 2022

⭐️ = all time fav

☕️ = check tws before reading

⭐️Sweet Temptation - Cora Reilly

tropes: grumpy sunshine, single parent, age gap, arranged marriage, mafia

Luna and The Lie - Mariana Zapata

tropes: grumpy sunshine, found family, age gap, boss x employee, friends to lovers, forced proximity, slowburn

Brutal Prince (Brutal Birthright series) - Sophie Lark

tropes: arranged marriage, mafia, enemies (she tries to kill him) to lovers

⭐️The Kiss Thief - Lj Shen

tropes: arranged marriage, age gap, book bf, enemies to lovers, triangle, cheating

From Lukov With Love - Mariana Zapata

tropes: enemies to lovers, sports romance, forced proximity

☕️Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet) - H.D Carlton

tropes: touch her and i’ll kill you, girl obsessed, enemies to lovers, dark, stalker

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of The Air series) - Holly Black

tropes: enemies to lovers, fantasy, slowburn, triangle

⭐️Marriage For One - Ella Maise

tropes: hurt/sick comfort, marriage of convenience, i hate everyone but you, girl obsessed, slowburn, grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, book bf

☕️Kill Switch (Devils Knight series) - Penelope Douglas

tropes: angst, bad boy good girl, dark, forced proximity, girl obsessed, grumpy sunshine, i hate everyone but you, touch her and i’ll kill you, triangle

Twisted Games (Twisted Series) - Ana Huang

tropes: forced proximity, touch her and i’ll kill you, forbidden, bodyguard

☕️I’m Glad My Mom Died - Jenette McCurdy

autobiography

All Rhodes Lead Here - Mariana Zapata

tropes: grumpy sunshine, slowburn, forced proximity, i hate everyone but you, single parent, age gap, hurt sick comfort

Made Series - Danielle Lori

‼️Do not buy, author is racist

tropes: forced proximity, arranged marriage, girl obsessed, i hate everyone but you, touch her and i’ll lol you, angst

⭐️The Wall of Winnipeg and Me - Mariana Zapata

tropes: hurt/sick comfort, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, slowburn, workplace, friends(?) to lovers, touch her and i’ll kill you, sports romance

Born In Blood Mafia Chronicles - Cora Reilly

my favorites: Bound By Honor, Bound By Vengeance

Off Campus Series - Elle Kennedy

Recommend all but my favorite is The Score⭐️

tropes: friends with benefits, enemies to lovers, book bfs

Kulti - Mariana Zapata

tropes: age gap, girl obsessed, enemies to best friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine, hurt/sick comfort, i hate everyone but you, slowburn, sports romance, coach x player

⭐️The Kiss Quotient- Helen Hoang

tropes: touch her and i’ll kill you, soft love interest, fake dating

These were my favorites out of the 100 I read in 2022, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Happy New Year mwah !! Excited to write more in 2023.

[essayisms]

Podcast Recommendations

(these are my favourite podcasts, for people who like me enjoy listening to academic debates on literature, academic topics, and open discussions on mental health issues.)

Literature/Academic:

+ LRB Bookshop Podcast: the London Review of Books is a British literary magazine. In the podcast they often discuss current events and contemporary and brand new literature as well as touching on iconic figures and texts from the past. 

+ The TLS Podcast: The Times Literary Supplement primarily focuses on current events in the literary world. A “culture and ideas” podcast,

+ BBC Radio 4 Books and Authors: Mariella Frostup hosts discussions with guests about contemporary literature.

+ BBC In Our Time: Melvyn Bragg hosts lecturers and professors from various universities to discuss various historical people, events, books, and theories. It can provide a lot of great supplementary information for something you’re studying or writing on.

+ Backlisted: A literary podcast that focuses on texts from the past, both recent and distant.

+ Shakespeare and Company: Recorded in the famous bookshop in Paris the show features readings by and discussions on internationally acclaimed contemporary authors and new works.

+ The History of Literature: Both historical and contemporary literature is covered by Jackie Wilson 

Mental Health:

+ Empty Inside: Jenette McCurdy (child star of iCarly) hosts a different guest every episode to explore a topic personal to them, from addiction, to growing up in strict religions, eating disorders and parental abuse etc. The show is focused on allowing a place for these topics to be talked about and promotes how to find recovery and create a better life for yourself.

+ Food Psych Podcast: Podcasts which are great for eating disorder recovery, hosted by Christy Harrison. This podcast challenges diet culture and is excellent and being supportive and most importantly non-triggering.

[pateldevs]

3, 4, 10, 11, 14 for the book asks

3: what were your top five books of the year? in no particular order: cleopatra & frankenstein (coco mellors), crying in h mart (michelle zauner), i'm glad my mom died (jenette mccurdy), normal people (sally rooney), and three women (lisa taddeo)

4: did you discover any new authors that you love this year? i will not lie: i bought into the donna tartt hype. also the sally rooney hype.

10: done!

11: what was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but that you just now read? once again, i can't lie: the secret history (donna tartt)

14: done!

year in review book asks!!

[zayzaycom]

Enclosed please find details of last night’s Los Angeles premiere of Open Road’s BEFORE I FALL. The event took place at the Directors Guild of America at 7:30PM on Wednesday, March 1, 2017.

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Attendees included cast members Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Cynthy Wu, Medalion Rahimi, Kian Lawley, Liv Hewson, Elena Kampouris; director Ry Russo-Young; writer Maria Maggenti; author Lauren Oliver; and producer Jon Shestack.

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Joined by celebrity guests Chloë Grace Moretz, Lea Thomspon, Jenette McCurdy, Madelyn Deutch, Willow Shields, Asia Monet Ray, Nathan Kress, Brec Bassinger, Kara Royster, Olesya Rulin, Sammi Hanratty, Rio Mangini, Niki DeMartino, Kyla-Drew Simmons, Al Coronel, Chandler Kinney, Chloe East, Leyo, Elise Gabriel, Violett Beane, Teala Dunn.

What if you had only one day to change absolutely everything? Samantha Kingston (Zoey Deutch) has everything: the perfect friends, the perfect guy, and a seemingly perfect future. Then, everything changes. After one fateful night, Sam wakes up with no future at all. Trapped reliving the same day over and over, she begins to question just how perfect her life really was. As she begins to untangle the mystery of a life suddenly derailed, she must also unwind the secrets of the people closest to her, and discover the power of a single day to make a difference, not just in her own life, but in the lives of those around her–before she runs out of time for good.

Website| Facebook| Twitter | Instagram #BeforeIFall

BEFORE I FALL – Pics From The World Premiere In LA Enclosed please find details of last night’s Los Angeles premiere of Open Road’s BEFORE I FALL…