Recommended Reading That Has Nothing To Do With Politics

 Sometimes to just need to pack a bag and move to Ireland.

If you can't do that, then travel along vicariously with Emily Allen.

I cannot say enough about Jenn McKinlay's newest (release date May 14th - go ahead and pre-order it!)

Description from NetGalley

When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.

Emily persists, and spending her days bantering with the annoyingly handsome mercurial Irishman only makes her fall more deeply in love with the new life she’s built – and for the man who seems to soften toward her with every quip she throws at him. But when she discovers the reason for Kieran's initial resistance, Em finds herself torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her now undeniable feelings for Kier. As Siobhan's novel progresses, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.

Note: FTC Disclosure Notice: Dear FTC - I received a digital copy of Love at First Book from NetGalley.com. No other compensation was offered or accepted beyond the possibility of a review of the book.

More Recommended (Political) Reading - The Truth Tellers

 

How to Break Through Trump’s Lies and Get the Truth

The pros who watch him so you don’t have to

SCOTT DWORKIN

I have taken the liberty of posting this entire Scott Dworkin post because it's important.  But please hit the above link and consider following him, along with the friends he's recommending.

"How to Break Through Trump’s Lies and Get the Truth

Leading up to the 2016 election, much of the country thought of Donald Trump as a ridiculous sideshow who couldn’t possibly win the presidency. What started as a joke soon became a cringeworthy onslaught of unbelievable campaign antics. I think that many people who wrote him off did so because they couldn’t bear to watch the nightmare he was creating and didn’t believe he would win.

As a veteran of Democratic campaigns, I recognized early on that not paying attention was a luxury we could not afford with Trump and his cult followers. I saw the fervor building around his nomination, and it was terrifying. Even though I hated it, I gave Trump a lot of my hours and attention at that time. I dedicated my life to trying to stop him.

I’m not sure it’s something to brag about, but while he was in office I wrote about and covered Trump for all of it. I’ve spent countless hours watching videos, dissecting his speeches, investigating his web of corruption, and exposing him for what he truly is.

My team and I spent years buried in videos of Trump rallies, speeches, and shows. I combed through business records, photos and videos of him and his family, campaign finances, and court documents. We poured over every single thing Trump said or did to make sure we called him out on every hypocrisy and lie.

It was exhausting and, at times, beyond disturbing. It was not a healthy place to live in.

Since Trump left office, I have pivoted more towards coalition building and online organizing but I still need to be aware of what Trump and his MAGA cult are doing.

Thankfully, there are now many watchdogs keeping their eyes on everything Trump is up to (which is a lot). One I trust is

Aaron Rupar

from

Public Notice

. He still does the grueling work of dissecting Trump videos on a daily basis. Aaron is one of the best sources on social media for videos of Trump's brain failures in action.

I have mad respect for the folks like Aaron, who are still able to keep an eye on Trump’s nonsense around the clock, and put in the tireless work needed to constantly call him out on it. The dedication is inspiring. It also gives him a perspective that we all can learn from.

As we enter yet another election season with Donald Trump as a presidential candidate, this is the point where we all likely want to ignore him. But we know it’s imperative that he never lands back in the White House.

So, I asked Aaron a couple of questions that I thought might help us stay strong as we go through this election year.

How are you able to watch the never-ending hours of disinformation and lies and not let it get to you?

These are, “historic times—even if they're rather bleak,” Rupar told me. “So it never feels like too much of a burden to immerse myself in right-wing TV and events.”

He said, “You're right that watching a lot of Trump isn't for the faint of heart, so if people are disturbed by his rallies and the like, that's what people like me are for–to watch so you don't have to.”

I can say from experience that no matter how long you’ve been doing this, it’s tough to watch a grotesque pathological liar spewing nonsense constantly.

How do you not get trapped in that negativity?

Rupar replied, “I also try to maintain some semblance of work-life balance by spending time with my kids, going to ball games, and those sorts of things. I'm decent at compartmentalizing. I exercise most days during the day as a way to take a break and get some fresh air.”

“The line between work and non-work is blurry, especially when you're self-employed. But having two young kids makes it easier. I try to log off from when I pick them up until when they're winding down for bed a few hours later.”

There’s no easy answer to living in a world with Trump near the presidency. I am grateful Aaron has found a way to sustain his work, because we need him to keep it up.

Trump’s not gonna magically disappear. He is once again the Republican nominee for president.

And after all of the damage he’s done to our country, we simply can’t afford for anyone to ignore and roll their eyes at this maniac. We have an obligation to call him a liar every time he lies. We can’t let him gain even one inch.

It’s how we won in 2020. No matter how many lies we hear or how many excruciating minutes we spend calling Trump out on his lies, we must never allow ourselves to become numb to the threat he poses to our country.

That's why I highly recommend you follow the heroes like Aaron.

Below I have listed out several of the folks that I count on to find and report the truth about Trump and MAGA, or that work to help progressives and Democrats. Thanks to their diligent truth-telling, their organizing, and the fact that they will never look away from Trump’s lies, I don’t have to watch every agonizing moment anymore.

You should absolutely subscribe to and follow all of them:

Aaron Rupar

 of 

Public Notice

, 

E. Jean Carroll

, 

Mary L Trump

, 

Malcolm Nance

, 

Jay Kuo

, 

Jessica Craven

, 

Simon Rosenberg

, and investigative journalists like 

Grant Stern

 and 

Judd Legum

. Those who cut through the noise like 

JoJoFromJerz

, 

John Pavlovitz

, 

Rachel Vindman

,

Alexander Vindman

, 

Alicia’s Substack

, 

Dean Obeidallah

, 

Jess Piper

, 

Joyce Vance

, 

Dan Rather

, 

Tara Dublin

 and 

Rick Wilson

 just to mention a few.

Apologies to any friends I’ve missed here.

Be sure to tag your favorite writers in the comments below. Add links to your favorite pieces, or of course your own! I’d love to take a read, and recommend others do the same! Onward!

Here’s how you can help spread this message:

1. Hit like/heart at the bottom of this post, so we know you read it!

2. Restack it! ♻ button at bottom of the post!

3. Share this—we’ll amplify your post!"

Character Matters

Recommended Political Reading IF you care about Social Security

I know I'm not alone in my concerns about Social Security.  

I'm paying close attention by following socialsecurityworks.org and the news keeps getting worse.

I want the Republicans to keep their filthy hands off my social security.

https://socialsecurityworks.org/

https://socialsecurityworks.org/2024/03/20/days-after-trump-calls-for-social-security-cuts-congressional-republicans-release-plan-to-slash-benefits-by-1-5-trillion/

 

Days After Trump Calls for Social Security Cuts, Congressional Republicans Release Plan to Slash Benefits by $1.5 Trillion

 

 

 

(Washington, DC) — Today, the Republican Study Committee (RSC), which counts nearly 80 percent of House Republicans as members, released its 2025 budget proposal. The following is a statement on the RSC budget from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works:

 

“Last week, Donald Trump told CNBC that ‘there’s a lot you can do’ to cut Social Security. Now, Congressional Republicans are confirming the party’s support for cuts — to the tune of $1.5 trillion. They are also laying out some of those cuts.

 

This budget would raise the retirement age, in line with prominent Republican influencer Ben Shapiro’s recent comments that ‘retirement itself is a stupid idea.’ It would make annual cost-of-living increases stingier, so that benefits erode over time. It would slash middle class benefits.

 

Perhaps most insultingly, given the Republicans’ claim to be the party of ‘family values,’ this budget would eliminate Social Security spousal benefits, as well as children’s benefits, for middle class families. That would punish women who take time out of the workforce to care for children and other loved ones. This coming from a party that wants to take away women’s reproductive rights!

 

The RSC budget would also take away Medicare’s new power to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs, putting more money into the pockets of the GOP’s Big Pharma donors. And it accelerates the privatization of Medicare, handing it over to private insurance companies who have a long history of ripping off the government and delaying and denying care to those who need it.

 

In recent days, Trump has tried to walk back his support for Social Security and Medicare cuts. This budget is one of many reasons why no one should believe him.

 

The Republican Party is the party of cutting Social Security and Medicare, while giving tax handouts to billionaires. The Democratic Party is the party of expanding Social Security and Medicare, paid for by requiring the ultra-wealthy to contribute their fair share. Everyone who cares about the future of these vital earned benefits should vote accordingly in November.”