Welcome to Litsy!

This wasn‘t for me… at another time I would have liked it I think. It‘s about Paul, who can shapeshift, and uses his abilities to become a woman to have multiple and wild sexploits.

Pictured with my new cow art. Some friends of mine are moving and I got to choose a couple paintings from their eclectic art collection. ❤️🐮

This is a brilliant encapsulation of a specific early-1990s community and if I had read it even ten years ago I would have been all in for the whole ride. Now it makes me sad that a community I was so deeply involved in is revealed to be so vapid and self absorbed.

Paul is a shapeshifter who can transform his body, including genitalia, into whatever form he wants, which he uses to make himself fit into the queer scene of whatever city/party he‘s in. sex positive (&explicit) & didn‘t gloss over issues of queer life in the 90s. an inter-weaving of queer theory &fairytales. I took this book to be a showcase for the trans experience & limitless potential for a self not curbed by heteronormative ideas of identity

I really enjoyed this queer novel about Paul, who changes his look (& gender) to suit his mood & is looking for love & belonging. Paul is an opportunist, a survivor & a ruthless fashion critic. He‘s such a charming, irresistible character that you want him to find happiness. That & the lively, fizzing writing make it a compelling read. Brilliant, funny observations, almost every page is quotable. The writing has DFW or Tom Wolfe-esque exuberance.

Well that didn‘t last long. I managed to make it almost 50 pages. As far as I can tell the only plot is the many ways the main character can go about having sex. That mixed with the writing, this just isn‘t my bag. I‘m cool with sex, but usually there‘s an actual plot involved that can keep me interested.

#BookSpin

Up next! Going to tackle a #BookSpin for the first time in a few months lol

#BookSpin ~ Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl
#DoubleSpin ~ We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Excited to get this year started!

I don‘t know how to sum up this book other than it‘s review of, “Difficult to quote in a family newspaper.” Paul is a shapeshifter and changes their body and identity whenever and however they want.
A new take on queer-ness that I‘ve never read before. Maybe not my favorite protagonist ever but definitely worth the read to see their adventures.

There was something so heartwarming and likable about this book and it's protagonist, the wonderful, flawed, shape-shifting Paul. It's full of early 90s references from the fashion and music to the AIDs crisis. It's very explicit, very funny and very well-written and a fascinating take on genderqueer culture from a gifted non-binary author.
@TheAromaofBooks #bookspin

I loved this original, funny, explicit magic realist Bildungsroman about gender, queer identity and how to be cool and loved. Paul/Polly was so achingly cool but also wonderfully recognisable and the writing made me feel i was really a part of the New York scene, so vibrant and in the thick of it. Highly recommend, for Serious reasons and also cause of the magic penises.

#scarathlon2020 #teamharkness @StayCurious +16 (for the shapeshifting)

Even in his community of gay-identifying men, Paul has always felt like an outsider because of a little secret. He can change his body and genitals at will, which he uses to move in and out of different relationships, circles of friends and fluctuating stages of desire. I flat-out loved Paul and felt very close to him. This wild novel is full of punk music, queer theory, smutty sex scenes but also haunted by loss, loneliness and AIDS in the 90s.

So here‘s the thing. I LOVED the main character. The whole idea of a genderqueer shapeshifter is automatically a thumbs up for me. And I honestly really appreciate how sex positive the whole book is. But I‘m so asexual that sex scenes get boring pretty quickly for me. Plus it does that thing where it just sorta stops without any real ending or conclusion. So it wasn‘t my favorite, but I‘m glad to have read it anyway.

Just bought more credits to get these. The 'Gay Britannia' one has lots of my favourite comedians in, including Paul Sinha. #AddictedtoTheChase

April Round up part 2: Paul Takes The Form of a Mortal Girl was just so surprising (and horny.) I really enjoyed it. The Ruins was also so good. Lisa Gardner never does wrong in my books. The rest were also good.

This book is excellent and SO DIRTY. I don‘t think it is truly a science fiction book even with the lead being a Changeling, or shapeshifter.

I‘ve been waiting for this hold for a long time, and isolation means I can savor my reads a little more than usual. I‘m glad to have another day off to get cozy on my couch with this one.

This book was really great. Set in the 90s we follow Paul - a character who can change his gender and physical presentation at will - through sexual foibles, relationships, queer scenes in various parts of the US and even some personal growth. It interweaves queer theory, fairy tales, and vivid descriptions of queer life in the 90s. It's playful and gritty and tender. #queerbooks

Nothing like reading a smutty book on public transport 😲💁🏻 #queerbooks

Next up! #queerbooks

The #TXBookFest sales tent was out of the book I intended to buy, so I may have bought two others in retaliation. Take that Book People! That‘ll show ya! 🤣📚

About to see Ruta Sepetys! Probably going to buy more books later...

This book is such a perfect capture of various lgbtq+ communities in the United States in the 80s & 90s that I'd recommend it for that aspect alone. But the main character, who has the ability to shapeshift gender to move more easily within these spaces, really makes for a unique read. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel because it feels so elegantly written (often about not so elegant topics!) I laughed a lot especially at the beginning.

I admitted I let out a yelp of delight when I opened this. Thank you @erzascarletbookgasm it is so kind of you to get me this! ❤️❤️ Your kindness and thoughtfulness is always appreciated, thank you Jessie 😘🤗 It was a lovely start to my day, friend.

A+ cover design and blurb placement 🙂 But it sadly didn't come home with me because it's pretty expensive and I've gotta rein in my book spending 😭💸

Very interesting structure to this novel with fairy tales interspersed within the main narrative. I read this to fulfill the read a non-binary author category for the Read Harder challenge. Good solid writing... just was not my cup of tea. 2 🌟

Paul is young and queer in the 90s on a journey and shapeshifting along the way. It is quite the book. I've never read anything quite like it before.

https://onthebl.org/2019/06/27/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl/

This one has been on my TBR for ages, finally pulling it off the shelf seemed like a good way to kick off Pride month 🏳️‍🌈😃❤️I got annoyed with the story at a few points, but overall found it an enjoyable read. It was gritty but funny, like a modern Catcher in the Rye

It felt right to purchase my copy of my professor‘s first novel (re-released yesterday) at Odyssey Books, on probably my last visit of the semester. And a belated thank you to the MHC alumnae of the Mount Holyoke Club of Maine for my #FebruMary celebration gift certificate!

Next !!

What was sex but newness? And sensation and conquest and intrigue and desire and romance and fantasy, and specific people sometimes, sure, but not always.

I hope to write a longer, proper review in the future but this novel is easily one of the best released in 2017. Set in the early 90s at an Iowa college, the protagonist Paul/Polly moves between being male/female like a contemporary Orlando

Let us discuss the aesthetics of Paul/Polly‘s #mixtape to the distant Diane

Today‘s #bookmail from Rescue Press