Welcome to Litsy!

Finished this one on Saturday, during #JoyousJanuary

I‘m using this one for #Sapphic book for #pop22

I‘ve had this one on my TBR for a while and am glad I finally got to it. It‘s a F/F historical romance about women in science. Basically, men suck 🤣

A f/f romance with strong, very intelligent women? Yes please! I would have liked more build up to the relationship, but overall, this was a great palate cleanser after some of the heavier things I‘ve been reading. I loved the support of each other‘s intellectual and artistic pursuits.

I can‘t believe I forgot to post this one. I wanted to write a review that does it justice but honestly I have too much to say and it can speak for itself. You just gotta read it! It made me very happy and took me thru a whirlwind of emotions. Not the best writing you‘ll ever see but heck this was a delight

I‘m so excited about this! I just registered for this free online event. Posting the link in comments.

I just saw that @Soubhiville sent @rachelm tagged book and here I was preparing to mail it to Soubhi today along with this journal with random notes such as this one.

I‘ll send your book to you and just send this straight to Rachel.

Thank you @Soubhiville for the incredible notes!! My book got lost somewhere in the ether and she still wrote comments to send to me by note. Thank you and I‘m glad you enjoyed it! I did tol

I just love that this cover plays into classic romance covers. I‘ve been wanting to read it since first seeing it. I was happy when @rachelm chose it for #LMPBC.

It‘s obviously f/f romance, and it goes all in with the emotions and all the sexy times. I loved that it features strong, smart, ambitious women and the way they stand up for themselves. A fun, satisfying read.

My second read for the third round of #hocuspocusreadathon

June TBR! This month I'm focusing on books featuring LGBTQIA+ authors and/or main characters. #tbr I've started the first two pictured here already & am enjoying so far.

I had several library loans come in at once this week so it was a busy reading week.
The tagged book is for #lmpbc for our f/f romance novels theme and I really enjoyed it! Historical women in STEM as the backdrop for this love story about self discover and recovery from emotional abuse.
#weeklybookreport #currentreads

I bit of escapism tonight!

#lgbtqia #lgbt #romance

I tore through this book at the end of a rough week, and I really liked the characters and the way they respected each other's passions and helped each other out. My biggest quibble isn't exactly this book's fault, but more of a bigger pattern: the book has a lot of good supporting characters who are working-class or nonwhite, but the two leads are both white and upper class. I want fleshed-out happy endings for everyone in my romance!

After Lucy‘s father dies and her lover leaves her to marry a man, she suddenly finds herself reaching out to the unknown Countess of Moth with the unconventional proposal of translating perhaps the most famous Astronomy text.

As sparks fly and Lucy comes into her own can she hold on to what is most important to her?

#LGBTQIA #slowburn
#readingqueerauthors2020

I enjoyed this wlw historical romance. Romance is still not quite my thing so I'm sure for someone who loves the genre this is one to gush about. For me it was fine and fun. I will say if you're a fan of sexy times this book was quite steamy. Overall a good one to read if you're looking for more queer rep in your reading. #sapphicseptember

Started this one on #audiobook for #sapphicseptember via scribd. It's sweet so far and I'm about halfway through. #amreadinghistoricalromance.

This scene is so infuriating and great.

This definitely had a lot more plot than other histrom f/f stories I've read and it was genuinely a really interesting story with multiple women being leading figures in science in the 1800s. I think in this case I preferred the plot to the relationship, but there were definitely interesting moments in both.

Not my favourite but definitely worth a read due to how well-rounded it is.

Well this was EXACTLY what I needed right now. A lady astronomer falls in love with a lady artist. Each has barriers to full participation in their profession, and the story is at least as much about that as about their romance. The romance is relatively low-obstacle and sweet (there are sex scenes so not a ‘sweet romance‘ in that sense). And there is a lot of embroidery, and fibre art as love, and that was just a delight.

And now butter wouldn‘t melt in his mouth

Me (from above), trying to read. Mr Darcy, of course, has chosen now to express how ardently he desires and loves me

Having finished Unmarriageable, this is next up! #romantsy

Happy to say my first foray into genre romance was a success! This was quite a delight—tho not for the same reasons romances delight most readers. For me, being ace=no interest in reading sexytimes, so I‘ve avoided these books. But that was a small & easily skipped-past part of the story. Loved that it was about queer women & feminism & science in the 19th century! A fun read, for sure. Def want recs for other romances w/little smut, pls! 4/5 ⭐️

“Women‘s ideas are treated as though they sprung from nowhere, to be claimed by the first man who comes along. Every generation had women stand up and ask to be counted—and every generation of brilliant, insightful, educated men has raised a hand and wiped those women‘s names from the greater historical record.”

[Plus ça change, plus que le même chose..]

“He‘s only an astronomer—and astronomers spend a great deal of time being wrong before they come to realize it.”

“He‘s not an astronomer. He‘s an artist.”

“Then he‘s doomed to be wrong his whole life.”

Ok, listen. I‘ve always said I had no interest in reading romance novels, b/c for me, part of being ace is zero interest in reading sexytimes. HOWEVER: 1. I read & LOVED Red White & Royal Blue last year, & just skipped pages w/graphic sweaty stuff; 2. This one is historical about TWO CHICKS; 3. I really need some books that aren‘t depressing. I know the genre has grown a lot since the Fabio bodice rippers of old, so I‘m giving it a go 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

This was a fun, fast, science-filled read. I enjoyed reading the story of two women making their way in a world filled with men who would thwart them at every turn. Filled with girl-power vibes, I was rooting for them to succeed professionally and romantically. Ah, with all the stuff in the world right now, it‘s hard to beat a HEA!

Smart, sexy, sensational! This book is filled with discussions of art and science - and the place of women in them. Good use of consent and communication during sexy times. Lack of communication and assumptions made about what the other person wanted outside of the sexy times heightened the tension. There is an HEA. Great Regency f|f romance, I look forward to reading the next book.

I stayed up too late last night because I have respect for the fact I had to return to work today. I finished the book so that‘s what really matters, right? I just need to be less tired so I can write a review!

Recommended by#bookrior Best Books of 2019.

I‘m starting late, and will likely stay up too late reading! Anyway, I don‘t like Stephen, he should be slapped.

Olivia Waite has pulled her book from RITA consideration and resigned as a judge because of the disaster RWA has created. This will be my first book in 2020. I‘m going to try to read some of the other authors who‘ve pulled their books from the contest. I think there‘s a list or two floating around.

#romantsy #24b42020

I decided to participate in #24b42020 because I really want to read more than I have in the past month, but I haven‘t had the time/space or enough motivation to make the time. Now I‘m pet sitting at a friend‘s so I have no excuse.

Really liking this book so far.

#romantsy

The more romance I read, the more I start to learn about the tropes. I haven't read a lot of male/female regency romance but apparently this counts as regency, between a countess widow and a female astronomer who is also skilled at translating. There is a thread in this story about artistic embroidery that may have been my favorite part (and not just one character doing it!) ⤵️
#romantsy

I bought the tagged book for my kindle, which I‘ve packed in my purse in case of Thanksgiving with the in laws/too many people in one place anxiety. Hopefully I can sneak off to a quiet corner and read if it gets bad. Here‘s Sophie in her Xmas jammies for your holiday viewing pleasure. We took our holiday card photo tonight- she was not pleased. #catsoflitsy

I cried and sighed all through this book. It was lovely to read a romance between two women who supported each other and helped each other achieve their goals. 😭😭😭😍😍😍
#romantsy

Recent purchases... because why not?

#lgbtq #gayromance #ladylove

Oh goodness, this book was so sweet! And feministy. And romantic. It takes up women‘s roles in the sciences and arts, lesbian/bisexual love, the ways we can be hurt in relationships. There was sexy sex that wasn‘t too graphic or awkward. I signed up for updates from the author because this book was so in my wheelhouse. Do recommend. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Loving this F|F historical romance so far! The #furbeast seems unimpressed, though. #romantsy

This is very sweet so far! I'm rooting for them, and also hoping they don't do anything stupid like stop communicating. >_>

(I hate the trope where everything goes wrong because people don't talk to each other. I've been with my wife for 14 years, married for three; we have never argued. That works because we COMMUNICATE. Healthy adult relationships ftw.)

Overall, I enjoyed this f/f historical romance. I love star gazing, but the mathy/sciencey aspects aren't quite my jam, but I still liked the characters and enjoyed the ending so much! Can't wait to discuss this tomorrow at our Diverse Romance book club!

Oh wow. When you have to stop to savor a line.
Text: "They don't let you have any whole, you know. If you don't follow the pattern. You have to find your happiness in bits and pieces. But it can add up to something beautiful." Aunt Kelmarsh, The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite.

Two days ago, we all thought everyone at my work was losing their jobs. Yesterday I worked 12 hours to cover for a friend. Today I‘m working all alone. Desperately want to read this one but am too emotionally and physically drained to do anything but watch reality tv and snack when I get home 😭

The Hour 18 #24in48 challenge is about romance novels, which is lucky as I just finished the tagged book! I read a fair amount of Romance (more when I‘m not on a book award committee). There are so many great authors writing Romance now; some favourites are Alyssa Cole, Courtney Milan, Jackie Lau, Cat Sebastian, and, now, Olivia Waite. This book was lovely (aside from the ableist metaphors). Highly recommend!

I‘m taking a break from packing (and my audiobook) to eat a late lunch and read a little romance. How‘s your #24in48 going?

Welllllll this was a fun read at the end of June - fun both for the F/F romance AND the sense of finding one‘s true work and valuing it - and best is the strong, clear message about women in science. 4.5⭐️ for a lovely fun read that has many layers and cuts to the heart of how the Victorian women of science did so much more than we now know.

Loved it! Did I read the last third or so while unable to sleep last night? You bet. Did it soothe the anxiety I was feeling? You know it. Am I amped that it's the first in a series? Hell Yeah! A lovely look at science, art, and personal passion. Plus: historical f/f!