Welcome to Litsy!

Loved this non-fictional graphic novel about discovering your sexuality and dealing with several depressions. Heavy content however, colored and drawn in a cutesy style. Had to put it away a couple of times to take a breather though.

Love the cover art.
I'll probably finish this book today

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata (trans by Jocelyne Allen) So much exploration into her own insecurities. I loved the way she looked at mental illness, body confidence, sexual inexperience, intimacy issues, social & sexual anxiety, her issues with communication, the internal monologue playing in her head, the lack of decent sex education, & so much more

Although at times this comic felt a bit disjointed and without a narrative structure to hold it up, I also really enjoyed and felt moved by it. It's autobiographical #manga detailing one woman's struggles with depression and queer sexuality. It's very frank and vulnerable. Some of her statements about depression are so spot-on and sad ("I'm so bad at being alive." ?). I was also interested to learn about lesbian sex work in Japan. #QueerBooks

There are a lot of hard-hitting thoughts about depression in this book, like:

"I'm so bad at being alive"

"Anyone is fine. I just want someone to hold me."

"I'd never understood how people could just *keep on living*"

#QueerBooks #Manga #Depression

This is my very first manga! I've never read a book back to front before, so I hope it's not too much of an obstacle! #QueerBooks

A brutally honest autobiographical manga about depression, loneliness, and learning to like yourself. Highly recommended for those still trying to figure out adulthood.

HELLO ALL MY BEAUTIFUL NEW YURI MANGA

This one library in the county as an amazeballs manga collection, including an entire labeled shelf for yuri and yaoi manga!!!!! (Yuri = wlw, yaoi = mlm)

#queerbooks

Rainy(ish) day @ the library means finding random things on the shelf that look interesting. I've heard good things about My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness and I'm a few pages in and already getting why it has connected with people.

There‘s an almost painful innocence in the author‘s honest portrayal of dealing with her depression and her sexuality and her need to break away from the expectations of her parents. It touched me deeply. #comiclove

“28 years old. No confidence. No direction. Never had sex…” Never been kissed, either. Out of desperation, Nagata hires a prostitute, which is the opening scene in this memoir. Honest portrayal of struggling with mental illness. Manga-style comics format. #Translation by Jocelyne Allen. #LGBTQ

I like the way mental illness is personified in this memoir as self-against-self. I also like the way her perspective of her mother shifts when she is feeling better.

One that kept floating into my view so gave it a shot. Have never read manga before and reading right-to-left was cool. Heart wrenching true story about the author‘s battle with her mental health and being herself versus who she knew her parents wanted her to be.

I spent my teenage years wondering why I found slash fiction & yaoi so compelling, while I found most het fanfics sort of repulsive. It‘s obvious in retrospect: no sexualized female bodies meant a safe space where readers could explore romantic feelings & relationships without confronting why they aren‘t comfortable being sexualized themselves.

Same! When we were kids, it used to drive my sisters & I crazy that all our mom and extended family all referred to us collectively as “the girls.” We tried to articulate why, but they never stopped doing it.

FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2017 (4/5)
Of all the books I read this last year, here are my five absolute favourites. My no. 2 favourite is My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness. One of the best depictions of mental health I‘ve ever read in a manga. Nagata‘s explanation of self-harm was especially well done. On top of that, it‘s a fantastic memoir that gives a glimpse as to what it‘s like to be queer in Japan. #favouritebooks2017

Memoirs are marvellous. Graphic novel memoirs doubly so. And graphic graphic novel memoirs might take the cake.

SUCH a good book about depression, sexuality, and understanding what your body needs.

I am not a seasoned Manga reader (reading right to left?? What kind of upside down world is this??) but I've heard amazing things about this. #amreading

While Kabi's sexual orientation does play a pivotal role in her manga, its her battle with deep depression and extreme anxiety that saturates most of the narrative. She manages to visually convey so much of the inner torment that mental health brings, it made me tear up. Her explanation on self harm brought to words what I have always thought myself. It was beautiful and powerful and I want to share it with everyone!

#30Comics30Days #QueerComics

I thought this would be an interesting take on a queer life in Japan. I had no idea that most of it would be about this woman's battle with mental illness! Very moving read.

Day 9 of #RiotGrams: #lgbtqpride Stumbled across this graphic memoir this week and immediately ordered because it looks fascinating. 🏳️‍🌈

This book is like a punch in the gut. It's completely, painfully honest and beautiful. I want more! I want to sit down with her each evening and talk to her about her day. I want her to find what she's looking for. Ouch.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5