Welcome to Litsy!

Moving on to things I know ALL about: Things To Do When You‘re Goth in the Country. Haha.

I‘m trying to take a break from the library (gasp) in order to devote time to the books I own but haven‘t read. There are A LOT of them.

#shortstories

An extremely tentative #screamathon stack due to the fact that a bunch of other new book holds just came in at the library and we don‘t have much time together. #bookanxiety

@4thhouseontheleft #toread

I loved this book and I just found out she's publishing a book in May on sexual assault called 100 Times!! Demon pig and I are very excited.

This short story collection of weird or fabulous fiction was always surprising. At times uncomfortable and and times laugh out loud funny. Some stories flowed better than others, but all for the most part were compelling. I read this at the same times as Her Body and Other Parties. Her Body was more horror while Goth was more surrealist in tone. Well worth a read. 4 🌟

I‘d guess Thing #1 would be to black out all the #windows 😬 #readingresolutions

This short story collection. was a little too out there for me. Writing was decent, just didn't connect with it.

Fabulous collection. A couple had magical realism elements but not all and they touched on so many larger issues while still being deeply personal -- war, faith v organized religion, queerness, drugs, mental illness. The underlying theme was struggle for identity in rural Midwestern settings that often seemed at odds with the characters. Highly recommended.

#currentlyreading this fabulous dark collection of short stories featuring often out of place, queer characters in rural settings. I've seen Woods' stories variously described as in the tradition of Kelly Link or Shirley Jackson, either comparison being enough to excite my curiosity. Really enjoying it, I have two stories left.

This book is a bit crazy! (Fiona will not sit still for pictures🐶)

Starting this book while relaxing at Starbucks for the evening. Can't wait to dig into these short stories! I've been waiting for this to come in at the library for a long time. 💀🖤 #booksnbucks

It's been like 20 years since I've lived in a small town, and nothing supernatural ever happened there. But despite that, I still found myself nodding at truths about the sometimes desperate living of small towns that was woven into this amazing little collection of short stories. Great stuff, I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this author.

I'm not usually a huge fan of short stories but I picked this up at Winter Institute based on the title alone.

Goth kids in the country get really hot. I know from experience. Rory is relating to this book and my youth hardcore.

This is my current favorite book title. Started on the bus to work this morning and can't wait until lunch to pick it back up. I can tell I'm going to adore this already. #amreading #greattitle

A stunning collection. Beautifully written with honesty, generosity, insight, inventiveness, and a strong sense of voice. Most of the stories feature queer characters although refreshingly none are focused on queerness. Most of them are set in rural, white, poor America. Baptists over 60 talking sex. Tweens make friends with a homeless woman living in a cemetery mauseleom. A writer returning to her Midwest home to crime and strange phenomena.

"There is a moment, for every child, when the adults around them...decide that the child's dreams must be obliterated. Adults do this so that they can replace the noble and ridiculous aspirations of children with the ignoble and ridiculous aspirations of grown-ups. They do this because they too, in a moment where they were on the other end of this awful thing they are doing, were taught that only the most ignoble and ugly things are attainable."

Today's #BookMail! (I'm probably gonna need to start saying no to publishers sending me books otherwise I will never have time to read them all). But this title! The silver and black book design! Chavisa Woods is a queer author whose two books I have accumulated this year. They're at the top of my (admittedly very long) TBR. Has anyone read this or her novel The Albino Album? #QueerBooks

An interesting list from Electric Literature:
https://electricliterature.com/10-books-for-country-goths-6af11fa16046

A distinct voice where it's country but also strange things happening. Fun times.

But will it blend? 🖤💣 😜
#arcs

New favorite title. 🖤📚☠️

Will I actually read any of these this month? I have to read Ramona Blue for work, but it's Julie Murphy and I'm excited. But I can never really commit to a TBR... I'm so fickle. And easily swayed by other Littens... #MarchTBR #marchintoreading