Welcome to Litsy!

@Meshell1313 you spoiled me too! #staycationintime across three US states - Arizona, Virginia (tagged book) & Washington DC for my #sapphicroadtrip! Thank you so so much for everything - I seriously love it all!

@Chrissyreadit @DinoMom

Finished this this morning 👍

Starting this 😍👍

For the readership it is aimed at, this is an excellent book. It addresses racism and sexuality head on and would be a wonderful text to use to foster empathy. Written in a dual narrative form, with a final third voice taking the epilogue, I found Sarah a far more convincing character and voice to Linda but she appeared better formed in my mind in the latter section of the book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

#popsugarreadingchallenge2020: A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name

#FallisBooked @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
#YellowCover

#LitsyAtoZ #L✔️

Ya historical fiction about being #queer and racism in Virginia during the civil rights movement. #halfbloodbingo

I‘m really happy with how much I‘ve read so far this year! I hardly read at all last year and am so glad that I‘m back into it and that I have an exciting run of books to go at next!

This is a fantastic YA novel. Couldn‘t put it down. Interesting characters and a compelling storyline. Uncomfortable reading throughout, which it should be. Integration isn‘t something I knew a great deal about, but it‘s something I really want to find out more about now.

This book dealt with two big things: integration and sexuality. I felt the integration piece was phenomenal but I could‘ve done without the sexuality. It felt at points a bit too much for one book to handle. Otherwise, I thought it was phenomenal and thought provoking.

While I don‘t find this perspective valid, it is fascinating and one I definitely believe people thought.

I bought this for a student as a thank you gift and thought I‘d read it myself too. I can‘t put it down. So, so relevant, even decades after it‘s set. I‘m going to finish it today.

While this book may have taken place 1959, it‘s sad that this thought is one that people still have.

13 pages in and I already see this is going to be a very powerful book. As an older sibling, I‘ve definitely been in situations wishing that my brother didn‘t have to experience the same thing as I did

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this, but it was so so good! I loved the strong female character and her ability to stand up for what she believed in, even if it went against the crowd 💛 Once I picked it up it was so easy to read that I didn't put it down until it was finished!

Day 9 #AdventRecommends

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Day 9 #AdventRecommends

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Day 9 #AdventRecommends

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Day 9 #AdventRecommends

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Lies we tell ourselves is a book of rights.Not just those of black individuals also a hint of rights for those in the LGBTQ community.This takes a hard look at what integration in a school in the south looked like for 8 kids just trying to get what they should be entitled to. I say it's ok because I feel the relationship that is in the book is a bit forced taking away from the rest of the story which made me not interested in finishing this book.

My Beautiful Book Haul

My favorite way to start the morning

The only one I can think of is tagged book. #ReadHarder #ReadHarder2018

I couldn‘t figure out how I felt about this book until now. The story should‘ve stopped at what she was telling about integration. It was powerful, heartbreaking, and genuine.
And then dropped a toxic, unrealistic, and offensive lesbian romance. Not that interracial couples aren‘t a thing (pictured: me and my wife), but because the white girl still wasn‘t convinced black people are worthy like white people. Nope. Nope. Just no.

Reading this now and it‘s SO hard to get through. I‘m cringing and I‘m scared and I hate that people were/are still so persecuted for differences in skin, race, religion, sexuality, gender etc. We all living - it‘s hard enough as it is... #equality

I am so excited to start this read! I've abandoned all else and gazed longingly at it all day at school. 👭 🌈📚#lgbtreads #lesbian #civilrights #civilrightsandlgbtteen #lgbthighschool #comingout #harlequinteen

WOW. This book was amazing it addressed so many issues and it was interesting but infuriating what it was like not so long ago. 🖤👭

Day 6️⃣: Favorite OTPs
Jaime and Brienne (#ASOIAF), Cath and Levi (#Fangirl), Bridget and Mark (#BridgetJones), Sherlock and John (#SherlockHolmes), Sarah and Linda (#Lieswetellourselves), Simon and Bram (#SimonVstheHomoSapiensAgenda), Ginny and Harry (#HarryPotter), Inej and Kaz (#Sixofcrows), Percy and Annabeth (#PercyJackson).
#septemberlibrary17 #bookchallenge #favoriteOTP #OTP

What a powerful read. This book really delved deep into the southern consciousness in regards to integration. I really liked how it explored both sides of the issue and the reasons why people believed what they did.

My newest read. I'm really enjoying it.

Currently reading this awesome book. I'm super anxious and excited!

This was such a fascinating book on so many levels. Definitely one of those I didn't want to put down and that really got me thinking about history, society and human nature.

A really powerful book about the difficulties faced when schools began to integrate as well as two girls' personal struggle with their sexuality. The main characters, Sarah and Linda, showed enormous growth and strength in learning to think for themselves and accept who they were, even when that would lead to conflict with their family and friends.
#adolescence #courage #racism #school #teenagers #lgbtq

"No one should have to do what we did this year, but someone has to. If we don't, nothing will ever change.
This is how it works. Someone has to sacrifice. Or nothing will get better for any of us."

"If you're going to stand up in a stage in front of a crowd of angry white people, you might as well look pretty while you do it."

Little Rock Desegregation 1957
This photo was taken by Will Counts and is considered, by the Associated Press, as one of the top 100 photographs of the 20th century. The photo shows fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Eckford being taunted as she attempts to enter high school. Elizabeth was one of the students, known as the Little Rock Nine, who were initially prevented from entering racially segregated Central High School, in Arkansas.

Enjoying a relaxing afternoon reading in my garden.
Read up to p.78. So far, a harrowing reminder of how hard desegregation was and the courage of children.

"As long as I have my dignity, I can do anything."
#courage

This was a hard book to read, especially if you know anything about history or even pay attention to life now. Content, not the writing itself, made this hard for me to read. Add the layer of an attraction and it's even harder. There were a couple of quibbles on descriptions but something that can be overlooked. Definitely read the Author's Notes for further reading and to see that she did do research about this subject.

This was the first book (well first after Big Little Lies but I've already posted about it on here) that came to mind after seeing the challenge for day 9
I didn't really like it that much but it was the first #lgbtq book I've ever read so it stood out in my memory

So I've finally finished this (I was reading very slowly because, to be honest, I didn't want it to end). And it was honestly simply incredible. We rarely get queer characters of colour, and to get not only that, but such a stark portrayal of desegregation as well as some beautifully written grappling about faith and queerness was incredible. I loved reading this book so much. (And shoutout to my uni's LGBTQ soc—they lent me the book.) #queerbooks

So I went to #gaystheword in London today, and it was amazing! This is just their "cultural studies" section; look at all the queer muslim writing! Definitely worth a visit, both for the history and the books #queerreads

Reasons why queer books should have happy endings: a summary. #queerbooks

This book's exploration of religious identity and queerness hits quite close to home for me, but so far it's been handled beautifully.