Welcome to Litsy!

Savanna Ganucheau is the artist and I adored the flow and dreamy artwork. It was by far the best part of it. Cute and pretty but always got the emotions across
Story but Panetta was not my favorite. Everyone but Hector was just mean. The topic of people being mean to each other comes up but is never addressed to a conclusion & no one apologizes, even when real harm is done. Ari is a weak character who doesn't show growth.

This was cute, but nothing earth shattering for me. I liked the art quite a bit. Ari‘s family are wonderful- accepting and encouraging even though Ari doesn‘t know what he wants. Hector is also a wonderful character. The baking elements reminded me a bit of Check Please.
#catsoflitsy

Library GN involving romance and baking, so good could I resist?

On my hook : nothing fancy, just making tea towels for little Xmas gifts.

I was disappointed that I didn't like this one more. Ari wants to move from his small seaside town but has to find his replacement from his family's bakery first. Enter Hector, a super easy-going guy who loves to bake. The setting was cute and the art with a simple blue pallette is beautiful. But I found Ari annoying and a bit shallow and his character didn't seem to develop much by the end. Hector deserved better 🤷🏼‍♀️

Catching up on GNs I missed during my pandemic slump, I hope they are all this good! I wasn‘t too into the main character at first, but Ari grows a lot through the novel and Hector more than makes up for it. There are some touching reflections on relationships and finding your path in life, and so many tasty-looking foods. I don‘t know how to use bread starter but I‘m tempted to ask my mom for help making the famous Kyrkos rolls from the recipe.

I'm late to the party but I just found out Bloom is getting a sequel in fall 2023! I cannot wait to revisit these precious baking beans. 🧑🏽‍❤️‍💋‍🧑🏾

𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢 is the story of two teen boys trying to figure out what life has in store for them post high school. A coming-of-age romance, the book has as its main setting the family bakery owned by one of the boy's parents. A cute, fun, quick read and the bakery store LGBTQ romance I didn't know I needed! And it's my first ever graphic novel! I know, I'm a late bloomer (pun intended). 😁

Full review here: https://tinyurl.com/rewjfwnm

1. Prodigal Summer … and a few others.
2. Tagged! A cute and sweet graphic novel.
3. There are two books on my TBR called Black and Blue. The one by Ian Rankin is one of those in the dreaded “currently reading” pile.

#weekendreads

So cute!!! Definitely adorable. I think it went a little too fast so the relationship progression was a little wonky. And Ari was kinda a butthead. But overall, such a great graphic novel!

Aww what a cute story. I love these sort of books. Cute stories, easy reading and incredible graphics. The plot is well written and draws you in. I loved both Hector and Ari, they balance each other well. The ending was perfect for the story. The images are so beautiful. 5*

Just did a reread and omg I had forgotten about precious baby!Ari. My heart 🥺

Bloom is a comfortable, cozy slice of life that takes place mostly in a bakery. I really enjoyed the glimpses we got into the lives of these characters, and he conflict of Ari not disliking the baker life but also looking forward to something else. This lovely story is paired with beautiful art, and I adored the two-page spreads shoeingany things happening at once or mini baking montages. #bakery #SliceOfLife #LGBTQ #GraphicNovel

I‘m definitely the friend that sometimes tells you the whole movie plot rather than the synopsis 😂

This was just a slow moving, beautiful slice of life!

Currently reading (and eating!)

This is so dang cute, and I am out of matching socks. ✌🏻💙

I'm diggin the sort of moody blue/green color palette of my most recent library curbside gems 💎

Had this in my TBR forever. My second book for #JubilantJuly.

#boundtogetherjune #ocean

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautifully illustrated graphic novel that's set in a seaside town. Ari wants to break free from his small town and job at his family's bakery and pursue his music. Then he meets Hector and he starts to realize that perhaps there's something worth staying home for. I would have liked this much more but I found Ari annoying and unlikeable.

@BayouGirl85 found the closest thing to a beach I could!

I know it is not a super exciting cover for some, but I love the shades of blue and simplicity of it.
#booked2020 #winter #covercrush
Overall the boon was just ok.

Here is to an afternoon of coffee and a book.

Teenage daughter‘s read at this glorious beach in Ras Al Khaimah.

I‘m counting this as out of my comfort zone because of the Spanish :)

#bookishbingo #MarchBingo #Challenge

This was a tough one for me (because I‘m not a native Spanish speaker) but the dialogue was within my knowledge base (couple words I had to look up)

Anyway it was a lovely story:)

I am really enjoying this (also super proud of me for understanding it)

And I still sometimes not know what I want. I can feel this part In my bones

I didn't realize that I got this one in Spanish. So my Spanish is so-so. I am about 10% into it and understand everything so far. But its mostly very beautiful graphics that are aiding with the story telling. I hope it doesn't get too conversation heavy (because then I might have to bail)

This one was on Pop Culture Happy Hour of something that was making one of the host happy that week. I had to check it out!

What a cute graphic novel about queer boys who love to bake! Read it with a yummy pastry because it‘ll definitely leave you with cravings. 🥖🥐🍞

#BBRC - #TeenAngst #SAGAapproved

It‘s because of the tagged book that I find myself having just returned from a local bakery with a box of pastries and 🧁. 🤣😜

#SorryNotSorry #booksanddessert

Publisher First Second has been putting out some excellent LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈 content, and Bloom is no exception.

Yes, Ari can be teen angsty and whiny at times, but I can really empathize with his situation. From an immigrant Greek family that can‘t afford to send him to college, Ari struggles to find his way post-high school graduation.

A sweet, slow-burn summer romance set in a MD 🏖 town that I highly recommend! Plus ALL the baked goods! 🧁🥖

Changing the pace and switching to a graphic novel for the rest of the afternoon. Maya has been pressuring me to read this since winter break!

I considered it a sign when I realized it matches the chocolate I was getting ready to eat. 🍫🤣

Waiting for Cirque du Soleil to start (we‘re seeing Ovo), and figured it was a good time to post my #WeeklyForecast!

3⭐
I hate Ari (Aristotle). He is whiny and can be a bit mean and mean tempered. I loved Hector, except for his choices. He has “battered husband” in the making vibes. Most of this GN is long and drawn out, almost like they are trying to create sexual tension, and all it did was bore me. By the time I started to like Ari he did a butthole thing and made me hate him all over again. Hector forgiving in the end is just too easy.
#Beatthebacklist.

This isn‘t for me. It triggered my embarrassment squick. I spent the entire book with a knot of awkward discomfort in my stomach.

Super cute! Ari was a bit frustrating to me both in how he let people treat him and how he treated people, but otherwise I enjoyed this peek into his world. Why on earth didn‘t they use a baking term for the title though?!

This was a great book, story and art. The illustrations were amazing throughout. I really really liked seeing the relationship bloom between Ari and Hector (meaning the flowers on the pages when their relationship grew and grew). Ari was a little annoying at first but he eventually grew on me. Super cute ending!
4 stars

Absolutely gorgeous - both the writing and the images. So nice to read a well paced story that had time to breathe. I loved everything about this.

In the past four months, I‘ve read three books in which young queer people hang out on rooftops to chat. Do any of you know of similar examples? #LGBTQ

#25Etsy @Megabooks Thank you for this generous giveaway! I have to say my favorite summer read, which coincidentally I read this summer, is Bloom. It's so sweeet, and I'm not just talking about the pastries 😋

Omgosh I absolutely loved and adored this graphic novel so much it was so amazingly cute and adorable. I actually teared up in a few pages so good.

Uncomplicated, strait-forward YA romance. Sweet, innocent, realistic young love. The montage-esque illustrations of the characters falling in crush set a lovely tone. What a nice book. 🥰

A very sweet, understated LGBT YA romance/coming-of-age graphic novel. Nice art, though nothing extraordinary. I did like the choice of color, though, using only shades of blue.
Also pictured, a roast beef and cheddar panini 😉

💙💙💙💙💙 sooo cute!

#Junereads #Junewrapup #Junestats #comics #graphicnovels

Comics/graphic novels I read in June!!
Best were Bloom and The Backstagers 🤗

Absolutely as sweet as you‘ve heard. Family drama, young love, coming of age, and baked goods. How can you resist?
#teenbooks #firstsecondbooks

I often found BLOOM painful to read. Ari‘s emotional immaturity is just. too. real. At 18, he‘s unable to tell what he really wants from what he thinks he‘s supposed to want. He‘s bought into the cruel = cool mentality in his attempts to fit in, and he hurts a lot of people as he works past that. The creators do a great job with his arc, but damn. My soul ached the whole way through.

I have this habit at work of setting books aside as they get returned so I can read them. Then they pile up for a couple weeks, I realize I don‘t have time to read any of them, and I eventually put them back on the shelf. Why can‘t I just read ALL the books?! 😭😭😭😭
#schoollibraries #litsyloveslibraries #librariansoflitsy

It‘s a sweet gay romance in #graphicnovel format, but I am not a fan of romance in general, so it was other attributes that kept me interested. What I loved most is the believable characterization, capturing the uncertainty and confusion of life after high school, and the weight of parental expectations. I also love the beautiful inkwash art, and all the yummy scenes of baking. #LGBTQ #YA #comics