Welcome to Litsy!

#Wondrouswednesday @Eggs

1. Escapism and building knowledge/curiosity
2. Tash Hearts Tolstoy (Asexual representation!)
3. It‘s not my favorite genre, but I recently tried Claudia Gray‘s Austen-murder mystery series and I loved it. I‘m going to try more of her books now!

Wasn‘t sure what to expect from this and glad I took a chance on it. Educational for me on how emotionally entwined teens are with online entertainment and interactions, the immediacy of it and how rapidly the terrain can change. Engaging story with believable and well drawn characters who had depth, even the minor ones. I would read more from this author.

Finally able to snatch a bit of reading time in here and there this week. I really appreciated the asexual representation and focus in this YA.

I‘m so glad I finally read this b/c even tho I am An Old, I still felt so seen by the asexual rep in this book. Ormsbee did a great job—it‘s realistic & genuine. Hope ace teens have the same reading experience! I also enjoyed this overall—fun, funny, nerdy. The friend group felt very authentic, dialogue among them was great. There were a few too many bits & pieces of drama, and sometimes the kids acted VERY teen-ish, LOL. But def recommend! 4/5 ⭐️

When I joined [the gay-straight alliance], I identified myself as an ally. During one of our meetings this past year, Tara Rhodes said, “Allies are important. They‘re the ‘A‘ in all our acronyms, after all!” And I wanted to stand up right then. I wanted to shout, “I‘m real and here and just as confused as a lot of you!”

[UGH HATE THAT. Pro-tip: the A does NOT stand for allies. Y‘all don‘t get a place in our acronyms just for being nice to us.]

I start giggling. I don‘t mean to. I don‘t *want* to giggle. I am experiencing an emotion far removed from amusement or happiness. Only, it seems, that emotion doesn‘t know how to get out of my body the right way.

[Have totally had this happen to me many times.]

🤣🤣🤣

A girl who adores Tolstoy *and* identifies as asexual? Sign me up! (And it‘s semi-own-voices rep, as the author IDs as demi.) .
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#nowreading

This book was great. Tash and her friend Jack are producing a web series, a modern retelling of Anna Karenina. I was super impressed by how ambitious Tash and her friends are. They are only in high school and doing way more than I would. Their web series becomes popular on the internet. I loved the ways Jack and Tash deal with their new found fame. Tash is also an asexual character. I haven't seen too many asexual characters represented in books.

I am 65% done. I am enjoying it, but right now it is moving a little slow. I can‘t wait until she finally arrives at the Golden Tuba Awards.

I received a free copy from Riveted by Simon Teen (Simon and Schuster). I have been wanting to read this for awhile and I jumped at the chance to get a copy. Never mind the hundreds of other books staring at me accusingly, waiting to be read.

Loved this YA book. Tash is the absolute best. I don‘t have as much patience for YA these days, but I did really enjoy reading this one for the teen book club I run at work.

Hetero-romantic Asexual Cis-Female: “I don‘t feel like I have to make that big a deal of it, or-or ‘come out‘ in some big way or anything. I don‘t want to.”
Cis-Het Female: “No, I get that. I‘ve never had the urge to stand in a public square and say, ‘I wanna do the dirty with menfolk.‘”

😂 Exactly. 🏳️‍🌈

I had a lot of high hopes for this book. I, too, have two YouTube projects that I‘m extremely passionate about. I obsess over my favorite books and authors, I even, like tash, have book boyfriends. And I also identify as asexual. Overwhelmingly what this book was was a disappointment and I hate that this is one of the only ace books out there. It‘s not a bad book, but I feel very let down.

I just wrote reviews on my blog of all these books, under the theme friendship. So they are short reviews. https://trishtalkstexts.wordpress.com/2018/10/06/review-five-friendship-novels/ #blogging #friendshipgoals #trishtalkstexts #reviewing #yaliterature

High hopes for this one. #currentlyreading #yaliterature #geekgirl

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

Sooooo... this is what happens when your television and Wi-Fi services are down on a rainy Sunday. You read an entire book in a couple of hours 😊 a great way to continue the #readorama 😊 2 books down!
This one's a cute little guy!

📚 Tash Hearts Tolstoy, by Kathryn Ormsbee

#kathrynormsbee #tashheartstolstoy

On my dinner break at work and about to start this!

#riotgrams Day 14: hearts

Three very different “heart” books ❤️ Hat made by my aunt years ago ❤️

Okay this is wild. Tash is the creator behind a literary web series --something I did for several years in college-- and I swear there is actual BTS footage of me somewhere referring to our cast as "preschoolers" ??

Some of you may already know this, but rivetedlit.com is hosting a free ya book a day on their site leading up to Christmas, & today's read is Tash Hearts Tolstoy.

I dont know why I'm starting this book that I'll have to read by tomorrow when I have a Christmas party tonight & lots to get done, but here we are. It's been on my tbr for a while, & a free book is just too good to pass up, I guess. What can I say, when it comes to books I'm weak.

First book I‘ve ever read with a self-describing asexual main character. Yet it‘s not preachy or too heavy, although it‘s filled with plenty of emotion and truth. About love, people, creativity, friendship, basically everything. I don‘t really like contemporary, but I loved this book. Great characters, awesome writing. Brava. #review #bookreview #contemporary

quirky teen novel about Internet fame, peer pressure, and remembering not to step on the little people on your way to the top! Now that finished this book I want to read Anna Karenia again. Hour 5. Book 2 complete.
#deweys24hourreadathon

So much yes

This was a delightful read! I particularly enjoyed how the well-developed friendship between Tash, Paul and Jack as they navigate the internet fame, dealing with actors, family problems, etc. Its a good one to pick up.

🗣️ TRUER WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN SPOKEN. 🗣️

It's nice to see ace/aro rep in YA. While some characters said some shitty stuff about aro/ace people, I thought the narrative addressed the comments pretty well. I think a lot of the problem with this book isn't actually with this book; it's that there are so few books with this kind of rep that it has to encompass all ace/aro experiences, and that just isn't possible. The love triangle was a bit predictable. But I mostly enjoyed this book.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am in desperate need of a short break from non-fiction. My hold for this one came in for me at BPL at just the right time - having so much fun reading it this weekend.

I finished Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee! I loved this book so much! It definitely is a new favorite!

I have a lot of reading to do this weekend!!

Is this a typo? I can't find the meaning online. Please help!!!☺️ For context, it says: "Jack is lying on the carpet, eyes closed, face reld. Thunderstorms are her favorite thing." I'm wondering if the "axe" part of relaxed slipped through the cracks?

Sigh, it took me about 3 weeks to read this. I picked this up because the main character identifies as asexual and it's rare to see that in books. That part was explored really nicely, but the book needed heavy editing. It's about 150 pgs too long and sometimes flat out overwritten. I haven't had a lot success with books lately, sigh 🙄

This was adorable. If you are looking for a cute, contemporary read, pick up this book! It'll make you consider picking up that dusty copy of War & Peace on your bookshelf.

#bookrec #ace #yalit

Jack calling out Tash is so satisfying. Tash can be very self-absorbed and oblivious to others feelings. #yalit

This is a very heartfelt story, one that will make you think and feel and wonder. I don‘t think this is a quick read unless you want it to be. It has a lot of depth in it and a lot of sides to it that make it so…so…good.

#tashheartstolstoy #kathrynormsbee #bookreview #books #yalit #bookish #bookblogger #booknerd #bookaholic #bookblog #bookworm #bookish #herbookstacks

Ormsbee definitely tackles a lot of different topics in her novel, and I really appreciate how well she weaves them all together like Tash‘s sexuality. While everything person‘s experience will be unique, I really liked how firm Tash was on her feelings, even as she faced doubts herself because asexuality is such a hard topic to discuss.
#rivetedlit#youngadult#yalit #bookish #booknerd #bookworm#booknerdigans #bibliophile #books #herbookstacks

4/5 -- This book, wow. I have wanted to read this since it was announced solely because of the ace rep, which did not disappoint. Although I know how important diversity and representation is, it didn't really hit home until I was finally able to read a character whose experiences fall so in line with my own. And gosh, what an amazing feeling it is. I'm going to hold this one close to my heart for a long, long time 💜🖤💜

OKAY. This is a pick because ASEXUAL REPRESENTATION, AWESOME! 💜The ace bits were wonderful and resonated with my own experiences and it was just so great to feel that. Unfortunately I found the novel as a whole pretty darn boring 😣that's probably a me thing--I'm not good with light contemporary. The book consists mostly of a lot of LITTLE plots, only a couple of which I found compelling. I also struggled with Tash's teenagerly choices. BUT💜💜💜

💜💜 I'm glad I read the acknowledgements

💜💜💜 reading your experiences with something being represented in a book feels really good

I've the honor of being on the Workman blog today, highlighting queer #PrideRecs and my work at Oblong Books. The post is far from complete - there are so many good books to read! - but it's a small sampling of books I think you should try, most of which we carry in the store. Take a peek at it on the Workman blog: https://blog.workman.com/2017/06/oblong-books-music-best-kids-books-pride-month/

Bookmail!!

Morning book + coffee! 😊 I kinda just really want to go back to sleep though

Where is the sequel? Be nice and give it to me NOW.
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#tashheartstolstoy #favourite #lgbtqiabooks #lgbtqia #pridemonth #bookworm #book #bookish #read

"College Students - Where Are They Now?
Subtitle: Dead, Unfulfilled, or Having a Midlife Crisis."
I'm dead ?
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#bookworm #currentlyreading #tashheartstolstoy #read #book #bookish #quote #lgbtqiabooks #lgbtqia #pridemonth #acerep

"I don't need any guy out there to tell me what I'm feeling is real. The only reason I told you is because I was trying to be honest with you. Not because I want your opinion on whether I have legitimate emotions or not."
YOU GO TASH!
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#bookworm #currentlyreading #tashheartstolstoy #lgbtqiabooks #lgbtqia #pridemonth #acerep #book #bookish #read

Natasha's web series, 'Unhappy Families' (a modern adaptation of "Anna Karenina"), goes viral when it receives a shoutout from a popular vlogger. It is then nominated for an award and with sudden internet fame, it's thrust into the limelight.
This book features a protagonist that is romantic asexual! It was such a wonderful read. Definitely recommend it. ?
// #TashHeartsTolstoy • #KathrynOrmsbee

"Is it possible for your whole body to grin? The answer is yes."
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#currentlyreading #tashheartstolstoy #bookworm #lgbtqiabooks #lgbtqia #pridemonth