Welcome to Litsy!

I‘ve had this on my shelf for eight years. It‘s my February #ReadOrDonate pick. I feel like its time is upon me.

#moon
#AutumnPlease
#scarathlon
@eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Thanks for the tag, @EadieB !
📕Tagged!
🍇 Raspberries
🤩 I'm not sure if I have one right now? I guess I'm really looking forward to Under the Whispering Door.
💕Not being too far behind on grading!

I won't tag anyone because it's no longer Wednesday, but consider yourself tagged if you see this and want to play 😉

#WonderousWednesday @Eggs

Fine YA. Girl nicknamed Honey, boy nicknamed Moon. Honey Moon. Teenage romance with misunderstandings, overreactions, and high school mean girls. Personally not a fan of magical realism and the text is over saturated with similes that were so obscure they concealed rather than illuminated. Pretty prose but now I need a palate cleaner.

#queer
#booclub

#bookspinbingo card for August is ready to go! Looking forward to the books on this month‘s list, including the tagged which I‘ll be reading for a book club.

I am posting a book every day from my collection that I haven‘t read.

Day 6

#tbrpile #bookstoread

It took me a bit to get into the book, but once I did the lovely blend of magic and realism was a delight. Sam and Miel are best friends, turned more, but when Miel is cornered by the Bonner sisters (think Virgin Suicides, but with magic and no suicide) she has to make choices that might ruin what she and Sam have. Secrets bump up against small town superstitions.

Finishing up this one as my first #24in48 read. I forgot to keep track of how long I‘ve been reading 😭 I‘ll start now, I guess.

This book has been such a tender, lyrical story about trans youth and first loves.

#lgbtq #quarantinereads

Why no, I am still not tired of being alone in the house.

#amreading #socialdistancing

Finished Creatures and starting a new one now. Sipping on Golden Chai as a dessert.

This is a beautiful, touching story about best friends turned lovers - a young girl haunted by her past, and a trans boy discovering his identity. It's a story of family, love, honesty, and loyalty. The ending was unexpected and wondrous.

The author draws significantly on her own experiences, which adds a depth and rawness to the book. I fell in love with the characters, and now I'm sad to let them go.

Since discovering the bookish internet, I've been acquiring books faster than I can read them. Which one should I start next?

I think I'm leaving towards When the Moon Was Ours. I've heard that it's a sweet story, and after a couple of long reads, I'm ready for something a bit shorter.

Taking inspiration from her own life, McLemore creates heartbreaking characters facing immense personal struggles. Her language is melodic and wonderful, describing things with a fantastic clarity while still leaving some magical edges and whimsy. The magical element of the novel is creative and quirky, developing through the story quite well. This read is full of emotional and hard-hitting content. 4 stars.

Happy Pride Month everybody!! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

A magical realist fairy tale inspired by the tale of la llorona & McLemore's husband's experiences as a trans man. It took a bit for me to get swept away by the story (longer than I would've liked) but by the end I really loved the characters & the story about love and acceptance--both familial & romantic. Some of the elements didn't feel entirely cohesive--especially at first--but I thoroughly enjoyed it by the end. Definitely a great Pride pick.

Physical TBR for #queerlitreadathon. Starts June 2. I'm including The Disasters, which I am already reading, bc the main character mentions that he has dated males and females in the past. I might try to save Red, White, and Royal Blue for #romanceathon in the middle of the month. As stated before, I don't intend to get through all books pictured. It just allows me some variety and choice without buying more books!
#queerlit

Anyone else joining?

What a lovely idea, @Clwojick 😊 I have several favorites, but this is the first to come to mind. If you‘ve not read it, highly recommend to fans of YA with magical realism, poetic prose, intersectional identities, and gender-expansive characters. #WinningDedication #WinningEpigraph #queerbooks

💙💙💙

I am just in love with McLemore's writing! She is so poetic and I just become immersed in her beautiful land of magic and words. This is a wonderful love story about finding and owning your truth.

#readingwomenchallenge read a romance or love story

Read it as a part of a bookclub read on Goodreads #Dragonsandteabookclub

I liked this book but I did struggle with the flowery language, overall a sweet book with a good message. 3/5

When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie Mclemore 4 ⭐️
•
This was this month‘s pick for the @dragonsandteabookclub hosted by @meltotheany and @acourtofcrownsandquills and as always it was a fantastic pick! I loved this story and the characters.. It has lyrical writing and it‘s just so wonderful! Totally recommend this book to anyone! ❤️

“...If she loved him, sometimes it would mean doing nothing. It would mean being still. It would mean saying nothing, but standing close enough so he would know she was there, that she was staying.”

Fingers finding stars, checking the flush, mouth on, bristles feathering... so softly and gentle to describe a beginning, which is more of a middle.

Reading in red light, when in the room, to not disturb my roommates, who fall asleep early this vacation, worn and tired.

And just like that, a new book appears! Thank you @kgriffith and I‘ll refrain from any title references until I‘m sure it‘s really romantic and not only tragically so

“No boy was ever so interesting to them as when he was interesting to someone else.”
My “Queer and Trans Writing” prof emailed us today and asked us to bring a passage from a published queer/trans work to our first meeting on Thursday. I don‘t know if I‘ll decide on something from this book, but it came to mind and I knew I wanted to read it again. Listening to the audio while keeping the ebook handy for highlighting. #queerbooks

Anna-Marie McLemore's When the Moon Was Ours is devastating. It's magical and haunting and just made me ache. Protagonists Sam and Miel (Moon and Honey, to some) embody the struggle of coming of age. Miel was delivered to Samir through magic and lives magic every day. Sam has his own identity struggles as he navigates expectations of his heritage and his own understanding of who he is. (continued in comments)

My cuddle bug has been by my side constantly over the past couple days while I‘ve been sick. Feeling loved while feeling miserable. #Luna #CatsofLitsy

I received the next two books for #thebreakfastBookClub #groupB
I better start reading!!

Couldn‘t get into it I‘ll have to come back .... maybe 💁🏼‍♀️

Starting this tonight 😋📖

@Chasing_Pages @InBooksILive Look what came in the mail today! Hurray! #thebreakfastbookclub #abundance #luckyme

It's 1 a.m. here & I am still up, so it's officially time to open my goodie box from @WeeziesBooks for #mfbs #myfavoritebookswap hosted by @JoeStalksBeck ! Oh my goodness!Everything is amazing!The books sound so great!I can't wait to dive in!The body butter is mouth watering!I love it!You have no idea how much I need note cards!These are perfect! I will have to fight hubby for the Laffy Taffy, lol.The bookmark is gorgeous!Thank you so very much!

Quote/review

I felt so-so about this book. It‘s written beautifully, but I felt like it was trying to be too many things at once. (And I didn‘t think she pulled off the magical realism - I never fully bought it.)
But then, in the author‘s note of the audiobook, in the very last line, she said THIS! And now I have to re-evaluate the whole thing.

Finally getting to join the @DeweysReadathon - I‘ll catch up soon 🙂

A rare DNF for me, I made it halfway through. I just could not get into this, it was all over the place. Life is too short to read books that you aren‘t enjoying!

Next reading project, c/o @kgriffith #annamariemclemore #whenthemoonwasours #nextbook

I received the next selection for #thebreakfastbookclub from @Nitpickyabouttrains ! Can‘t wait to read this! 🤗💚

#bookmail

This seems promising, anyone read it?

Just finished my second #thebreakfastbookclub read. It took me a little while to get into it. Fortunately I had a plane ride and ended up eager to keep reading. I am excited to get some thoughts into the journal.

Loved this quote 🖤

Got #bookmail from @tjwill today for #thebreakfastbookclub. So excited to read the book and your notes!

Well this is just an insanely beautiful and magical book! Just started it at work today, but I‘m excited to get further into it.

I‘m just finishing this magical realism novel for #thebreakfastbookclub and heading out to the post office. It is a beautifully written story about love and identity. Roses grow from Miel‘s wrist, and Sam paints moons for her so she will always feel comforted. Their friendship has always been more, and they work to become comfortable in their own skin as they accept the other just as they are.

@Nitpickyabouttrains I have not sent my #thebreakfastbookclub book to you yet, but I plan to get it in the mail on Saturday morning. Sorry I‘m being slow. I promise to send the next one far in advance to make up for it! I‘ll include a note in the notebook about why I think this one has been slow for me.

This was a thoroughly charming little story about what constitutes magic & being who you truly are, how YOU see yourself, is the most important thing in the world. The author, who is married to a trans man, weaves it into the story so beautifully, that it‘s not until halfway through you realize who Sam is, and by then it doesn‘t matter. You‘re caught up in the love story between him & Miel. Such a sweet book. . #diversereads

I didn‘t realize this morning that my jewelry was matching my book. As the book jacket says, “Roses grow out of Miel‘s wrists.” 🌹 We are enjoying sitting outside to read this evening while the children ride their scooters. 🛴 🛴 #thebreakfastbookclub @Tiffy_Reads

Started reading today for #thebreakfastbookclub!