Welcome to Litsy!

#MarchWrapUp
#StoryGraph
This was a wild month. I read more books than there were days in the month (just). I read A LOT of good books, but also a fair share of meh books. Talk about an adventure.

Such a beautiful soul!
This is such an emotional rollercoaster. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, but also funny in places. I seriously wish we could stop policing children and labelling it “class disruption.” Children being themselves is not a disruption. It is honest. Maybe oddly, I‘m angry. I‘m so angry for this amazing human being, I‘m angry for other people living it right now, who are left with zero information about themselves and reality

This has been in my library since 2020. It‘s time to actually read it already.
#GeorgeMJohnson #AllBoysArentBlue #audiobook #readbytheauthor

I think this should be not be banned, but accessible in schools, libraries, youth clubs… Johnson provides a thoughtful and personal account of gradually realizing that he is a gay man in a culture where he had no concept this was possible. It shares both his inner struggles and his relationships with his peers and family as he comes out, with varying levels of acceptance. The audio is a bit stiff at times, however.
#Nonfiction2024 #AllBoys

#Nonfiction2024 wrapup: thanks to Riveted_Reader_Melissa for organizing this! Not a full board, but lots of good reads and interesting ways of finding them.

#weirdwords #weirdwordwednesdays @CBee

I love those moments when you realize the stunningly obvious meaning of a word that you were somehow oblivious to your entire life, like “sour cream is *sour* cream!”🤯

George Johnson narrated one of those new connections for me this week and it made me super happy 😃

I‘ve always meant to read this one and I‘m glad #bannedbookweek inspired me to finally pick it up, it really is as powerful as everyone says. Johnson‘s story does a wonderful job of illustrating how even if you‘re lucky enough to be surrounded by loving family and friends, being part of a marginalized community inescapably increases the chances that trauma, violence, illness, abuse and mental health struggles will affect your life.

This was a powerful coming of age memoir. Johnson tells their story with honesty, compassion, and humor.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a deeply honest memoir that speaks about a number of different traumas and difficult topics. As Johnson says towards the end, it‘s strange to write/ read a memoir from someone who is 33 but to let the world know everything he has been through - including personal sexual stories - for people who might be going through the same troubles. This book has a great intent and I can see it supporting those who need to hear these words.

Happy Belated Banned Books Week!
I read the number 2 most challenged book in America this year.
I think this is a great book for teens questioning their sexuality, & also for heterosexuals to better understand them.

“I released the deepest and darkest things about my past in hopes that someone might see a reflection of themselves in the words and know that they are not alone, and that they may not make the many missteps I took along the road.”

This was a great audio listen as i made my journey up to Kerikeri. Johnson wrote this memoir specifically for young adults figuring out their queer identity to feel seen & to gain some wisdom from another‘s experiences. Hopefully books like these show kids they‘re not alone and there is a path to a happy future. Important to note that Johnson‘s family was accepting but ⬇️ #blues

For #titlesandtunes October, I‘m going to forget I‘m still reading my August selection and i bailed on Septembers 😂. My book choice is All Boys Aren‘t Blue which I‘ve been meaning to read for a long time and my song choice is Blue Moon Revisited by Cowboy Junkies. This album is always one i listen to when i want to soak in my sadness - my teenage self and my adult self both highly recommend it. #blues

This book has been on my TBR for a while and I finally read it because it‘s my #BookSpin for September. Though some of the topics are difficult I really liked it. Johnson has an engaging writing style and makes clear the points they want younger readers to grasp. This book has been on banned books lists, but I hope it stays available for YA readers who are looking for themselves on the bookshelf.

You know how you get what you get from a book & then someone tells you their takeaway is graphic (not really, just frank) sex talk when you were swept away that an entire family can be so loving & accepting of gender fluidity, expression & romantic love? No one reads the same book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Written as a love letter to the Black queer community, this book could be a lifeline to so many, so it‘s heartbreaking that it has been one of the most banned books in schools in recent years. I really appreciated the author‘s direct storytelling approach and found their narration to be mesmerizing and powerful. 🎧

Chose this from a pride display at my library job and after hearing great reviews! It reached the hype! Johnson is a phenomenal writer that made me feel diverse emotions throughout the book. There are so many lines, themes, and points that will continue to stick with me. I especially loved the chapters on his grandmother and forgiveness of his cousin who abused him. The book provides good guidance without being preachy. One of my new fave books!

Here‘s my review for a book I finished reading last night. Since this book was published, the author came out as nonbinary and their pronouns are they/them.

I chose this book for the following prompt:

☑️ Iris: Goddess of the Rainbow | A book written by an lgbtqia+ author of Color - #greekmythologychallenge

I started this book. I‘m reading this for the #greekmythologychallenge. It will work for the prompt of a book by an LGBTQ+ Author Of Color. It‘s really good so far. I just started borrowing the audiobook from Libby and I noticed that 4 people are waiting for it. Those 4 people who are waiting will have to wait until I get done reading this book.

This is such a very good book! I think everyone should read this one. I managed to inhale this one in one sitting. Very eye opening

This is absolutely a pick in terms of wanting teens to have access to it. This was written as a “YA memoir” and perhaps for that reason it doesn‘t go as in depth as I‘d personally like. It‘s immensely readable in just a few short hours and does talk frankly about sensitive subjects but I‘m lost how people can get so up in arms over this. Visibility is so important. Especially in your formative years.

Starting this in honor of #Pride (and also bc there‘s so much chatter about it being among several titles being banned in schools). I bought it at a fab indie bookstore on the LES that offers solace to 🏳️‍🌈 & 🏳️‍⚧️ youth as well as advocates for the unhoused.

I‘m only a few chapters in and my heart already hurts for little George.

Happy Pride everyone!
Remember that we don‘t just celebrate it this month, queerness is something we celebrate all year long. There is such joy in these spaces!

We did a “virtual” 5K today to raise money for a local cat rescue. Couldn‘t have had better weather. And now I get to sit and read for a spell while my other half farts around with his HAM radio.

This is an important story. Johnson needed to tell it and a lot of young people need to hear it—but friends, his storytelling style feels underdeveloped. Much of the book is very this-then-this-then-this, with some solid diversions into deeper material. It‘s worth reading and should resonate with the target audience—hence the Pick rating—but it never sparked in the way I want my memoirs to. Maybe he needed to percolate it a few more years. #gaymay

March nonfiction #readingbracket2023
I read 3 nonfiction books this month plus one I bailed on.
This one was the best - great memoir 💙🩷

#TransRightsReadathon Book 3
This was a great memoir hitting on topics of race and gender issues in society, specifically the black community. George talks about growing up trying to stifle his identity as an effeminate gay boy and explains his long journey to accepting his place in the queer community.
#LGTBQ2023 QBIPOC author @Kenyazero
#NonFiction2023 Rage against the Machine @Riveted_Reader_Melissa
#2023ReadSetRead color in title @Clwojick

Here's my TBR list for the #TransRightsReadathon
I know I won't get to all of these but I'm looking forward to reading what I can. Have you read any of these? What should I read first?

Lovely memoir. Feels like best suited for a teen and traditional aged audience due to the subject matter. Very enjoyable

We already George M Johnson‘s grandmother is a badass. Turns out, mom‘s one, too, helping prevent their book from being banned. This video is awesome:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lilkalish/black-queer-author-mom-blasts-boo...

I wanted to read this book as it's being banned in many schools. I didn't find George's story offensive. What I didn't enjoy about the book was the writing and that it felt preachy.

This heartfelt memoir & manifesto is an often challenged/banned book , I think that‘s too bad.For a young person to see their struggles reflected in a book of someone else‘s experiences can be life saving.I am not the specific audience for the book , yet I found his heart , his strength, his willingness to learn , grow, & heal inspirational.Parents have the right to monitor what their kids read , but they have NO right to control what others read!

For #adventrecommends I'm going to focus on books I've read in 2022 that I loved.

I think everyone should read this book. I read it with a banned book club at my library and we had such a great discussion about it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I learned a lot from the beginning of this memoir. Johnson discusses his childhood, teenage, and YA experiences as a gay black boy. His goal is to help other young gay black boys with questions they might have going through a similar experience. I liked the beginning very much but then his goal seemed to go off track a little bit as the book continues.

#BannedBooksWeek

This beautifully written memoir written by a young man talking about his experience growing up black and gay, made it on the top ten list of most banned books of 2021. It is not surprising to note that the reasons for its constant banning is due to its LGBTQ+ content. The majority of the books on that list were banned for the same reason. 📚📚📚

‘ oddly enough, many of us connect with each other through trauma and pain : broken people finding other broken people in the hopes of fixing one another. ‘ 4/5

1. I Read as part of a banned book challenge.
2. I had a few major issues with the book but feel like I have no right to criticize this manifesto because I‘m not the intended audience.

I listened to the author read this book and it was such a great experience. Before the first essay, I loved that he addressed that the content might seem difficult for YA readers, but since these things happened to him when he was a child, a teen, and a YA, he wanted to tell his story to help others. 💚

His positivity is infectious and his bravery truly inspiring. And his grandmother is someone we all need in our lives.

Highly recommend!

So...my local library has a banned book club now and I've promoted it every week on a local Facebook page. This week because I posted we're reading the tagged book, I'm now getting these wonderful comments from people. I've also apparently according to him now made the Facebook page a place children can't go simply because I posted the cover of the book. I just keep asking him to read the book and join our discussion. I'm really hoping he does. 😁

A powerful, candid memoir of a young black queer man‘s coming of age, written specifically to help other LGBT teens not feel so alone. George Johnson grew up knowing he was different from most other boys. But he had no guidance, no language, no peers to help him understand his queer identity. He shares his story so that other gay teens will see themselves reflected in it and recognize a friend on their journey.

🙌🏿

Such a cutie 💕