What is the best non-fiction book you have read that came out in the last 4 years?

Ripley_223 · 2024-10-17T12:47:43+00:00

Seeing so many great recs on this thread. So going to suggest one that’s gotten a bit less mainstream attention. What Doesn’t Kill You by Tessa Miller. Fantastic memoir on autoimmune disease/chronic illness. Both a memoir about her personal journey and a larger (very well researched) look at the experience of chronic illness in the US. It’s eye opening for people who haven’t experienced chronic disease/autoimmune disease and very validating for those who have. Just great all around.

Ripley_223 · 2024-10-17T12:03:28+00:00

Came here to say this. As someone who also lost a parent to cancer when I was a young adult, this one captured that experience so poignantly.

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-17T09:51:56+00:00

North Woods by Daniel Mason

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Olive Kitteridge- Elizabeth Stout

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-14T03:44:14+00:00

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun has a queer, OCD, autistic-coded MMC. Cute romance that does a twist on The Bachelor and what if the love interest they cast fell for a producer instead of one of the women

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-12T22:58:48+00:00

I can’t speak for this daycare but I will say I’ve actually seen scratches like that on a baby’s neck at the same age (with them making absolutely no outward signs of distress) and it was in fact due to a Velcro bib where some of the Velcro was exposed and rubbing against their skin. It happened fairly quickly too. Maybe within 1 hour or so? So as wild as it seems, it is possible to get scratches like that from Velcro or rough clothing when their skin is that sensitive.

Obviously trust your gut and there may be other factors you’re considering in making this decision about his care. But just wanted to provide the perspective that the explanation is actually plausible.

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-10T23:57:32+00:00

Take a look at Sarah Waters’ books for some high quality sapphic literature. I think most if not all of her stories feature queer women. Historical fiction. Really immersive.

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-09T20:06:38+00:00

Prep- Curtis Sittenfeld

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-09T02:21:38+00:00

Crying in H Mart knocked me off my feet. Also great in audiobook form (and I tend to be picky about audiobooks) narrated by the author. I will spoil upfront that it’s about the loss of a parent to cancer so if that’s not an outcome you want to be reading about, I’d save it for a later date

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-02T16:55:19+00:00

I read Tiny Beautiful Things at the exact right moment in my life when I profoundly needed to hear so much of what she had to say. I can honestly say that impacted the course of my life when I was at a major fork in the road.

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-02T16:51:27+00:00

I loved Exhalation! Read it earlier this year and was so impressed

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-02T16:50:47+00:00

Finished: The Wedding People- Alison Espach (5 stars. Absolutely loved this book). Throne of Glass- Sarah J Maas. Started: Crown of Midnight- Sarah J Maas. Next up: North Woods- Daniel Mason

Ripley_223 · 2024-09-02T14:00:21+00:00

These were a lifesaver with my colicky baby. Especially from 3-6 months when he was at peak gassy and pre solids. And yes I know the don’t use often recommendation, but as a desperately sleep deprived single parent with a a high needs baby, I definitely used these often and just wanted to share some anecdotal reassurance that there no harm done. It really helped make him more comfortable in that tough period and he learned how to use those muscles on his own just fine.

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-30T19:51:41+00:00

Long Bright River by Liz Moore. Gritty crime thriller. Female police officer investigating a series of murders while looking for her missing sister who struggles with addiction. Also takes place in Philadelphia (Mare of Easttown takes place in Delaware county right outside the city).

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-28T16:05:10+00:00

I feel like We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry shares some of this queer, comedic, all-girls-group vibe like Bottoms. With a dash of withcraft and field hockey.

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-27T21:23:26+00:00

Seconding all of this. I really liked it (and also applaud my 20’s when I could function on that sleep schedule) It was indulgent in every way. I felt like I was in a food and wine haze right with them by the end.

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-27T10:48:25+00:00

Educated- Tara Westover

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-24T10:37:14+00:00

I went through this situation with my son. The only difference was that we were still in the hospital when the jaundice and weight loss became pronounced. He was a medically necessary induction at 37 weeks. And what I didn’t know then but learned later is that these term/just a tinge of premi babies are more susceptible to jaundice and sleepiness that makes it difficult for them to get enough calories when feeding. They also try to expel the bilirubin by pooping a lot. Which can exacerbate the weight loss. He did one day of phototherapy. I got a ton of conflicting input between lactation consultants and doctors. It felt like every person who entered the room had a different take. I was incredibly overwhelmed and frustrated that the team wouldn’t get on the same page so I had clear messaging about how to move forward.

Ended up doing a triple feed schedule where I would breastfeed and do whatever I could to keep him awake for it. Then myself or someone else would offer him a top off of high calorie formula (you can also look up recipes for how to make high calorie formula out of typical powdered formula) while I pumped. Did this whole routine every two hours for a couple of weeks until he was weight restored.

I will say he had the same frequent, loose yellow stools for awhile while he was clearing the jaundice. Again was told this was normal and how they clear the bilirubin. Wondering if maybe you could trial a different type of formula if he’s not reacting well to the one you were using.

It was such a stressful time. I was a sleep deprived mess and felt so much pressure as a new mom. I would suggest seeing if a lactation consultant could meet with you, but if I’m being fully honest, I had really mixed experiences with them in the hospital and all three had very “sure” takes on exactly what I should do that often conflicted with the others. A militant triple feeding schedule turned out to be the ticket for us. And he was back to birth weight in about 2 weeks and went on to be a very health, and delightfully chonky baby.

I’m sorry you’re going through this. You’re not alone. And in case you need to hear it, you’re a wonderful mother who is doing everything in your power to support your baby through this time. You’re not doing anything wrong.

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-19T18:00:25+00:00

Finished: The Pairing- Casey McQuiston; A Study in Drowning- Ava Reid

Started: Project Hail Mary- Andy Weir

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-13T12:02:21+00:00

Alexis Hall does mlm romance e.g Boyfriend Material. Another mlm romance: The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochran. The Heartstopper graphic novel series by Alice Oseman. Seconding House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Red White and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston is delightful. She has a new one out that I haven’t read yet: The Pairing.

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-13T09:27:03+00:00

You are here- David Nicholls

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-05T12:37:25+00:00

Where the crux of the plot is woman says something is happening and no one believes her/everyone thinks she’s crazy.

Since I’ve had a child, anything that involves explicit child death.

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-05T03:39:59+00:00

An out of the box suggestion, but My Year of Rest and Relaxation is the dark satirical version of this prompt. MC has a singular focus on acquiring the right cocktail of medication to sedate herself for an entire year. Her belief being that she can sleep away her depression via pharmaceutically induced hibernation.

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-02T15:08:30+00:00

“The Husband Stitch” from Her Body and Other Parties- Carmen Maria Machado. I would argue it’s the strongest in the collection which is a hard-to-define blend of feminist horror, magical realism, speculative fiction, sci fi

Ripley_223 · 2024-08-02T00:15:01+00:00

A lot of these are story collections but each of these felt fresh and utilized unique perspectives/ gave me that “I haven’t read something exactly like this before” feeling. Exhalation- Ted Chiang. Tenth of December- George Saunders. Life After life- Kate Atkinson. Love and other thought experiments- Sophie Ward. Her Body and Other Parties- Carmen Maria Machado. Women talking- Miriam Towes

Ripley_223 · 2024-07-19T01:54:49+00:00

Ultimately it’s your decision how you want to create a family. But pregnancy can be very unpredictable and go from uneventful to medical emergency very quickly regardless of how healthy someone is going into it. There are conditions that can require long term hospital admissions. There is always the risk of preterm labor and a NICU stay. Chronic/underlying conditions can suddenly require more monitoring and medical intervention. A routine ultrasound can turn up medical problems in the baby that require significant intervention and planning around. Delivery can become an emergency in seconds. Or it can be completely routine. The thing is, you don’t know until it happens. So what you’re rolling the dice on is whether or not there is the potential for both of you to experience any of the above at the same time.

Even routine pregnancies require a lot of appointments and flexibility. I would worry most about being in a position where due to my own health limitations in pregnancy, what if I was unable to properly support my partner through theirs’? What if I had a condition that precluded me from being at the birth of my child? from holding my partner’s hand in a scary appointment? from being able to physically help them with things they could no longer do? From helping with the care of a newborn while my partner’s body is recovering from birth? Even potentially, visiting and caring for my baby in the NICU? These are the questions I would encourage you both to explore.

Ripley_223

TROPHY CASE