Welcome to Litsy!

Reading for a long standing (since Shelfari days!!!) virtual book group. Really, really enjoying this one. Dean Atta narrates and does a fantastic job.

50 pages in already going to be a good book

#bookspin July wrap up!!

Three bingos #bookspinbingo!
Got to my #doublespin but not my #bookspin. Will read it the next couple of weeks.
@thearomaofbooks

I do not recommend the audio, turns out you miss a lot since this is a multimedia book with illustrations.
Overall the story is well told, you can hear that the author is a poet in the cadence and tone .
Would recommend in physical form.
#Doublespin

That "destroyed by the first page" feeling ?

How I wish this was required reading for students today, especially in light of recent anti-LGBTQ poison slowly seeping into our schools. I imagine putting this book in the hands of so many angry school board members, and saying "THIS is what it means to grow up queer."

Thank you to the author for crafting a beautiful prose that any queer person can relate to, and that others can learn from ?

Beautiful and inspiring. Honest and clear. Sometimes I think poetry novels are better at getting to the heart of a character's feelings than prose ever could. I'm so happy to see Mike flamboyant and fierce and true to himself at the end. Such a flawless look at a young man discovering his identity, sexuality, creativity; encountering racism and homophobia and acknowledging the impact while not allowing it to define him. Magnifique.

"Don't let anyone tell you/that you are half anything...You are a full human/ being." ?

Such a great audiobook

Never seen a book with this award before. 🏆

🏳️‍🌈

Beautiful book

Started this last night and really loving it so far. Defo think this book will be an amazing read.

@Kenyazero my February update for #lgbtqbookbingo. I also found 2021 and I‘m filling that one out too 🤣. I love all the queer books!!!! 🌈🔥

Am I participating in three book bingos this month? Yes. Is this book on my book bingos? No. Am I reading it anyway? Yes.

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

A nice and cozy start to 2022 thanks to these two and a snowstorm. Really excited for my reading challenge and book club TBRs for this year. #lennox #huey #catsoflitsy

This was one of the books in my #fallswap package from @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego
It‘s a novel in verse about Michael, a mixed race kid coming of age in London, trying to figure out who he is, and finally finding his voice in a drag club at university. I really enjoyed it.

This was beautifully done. Poetry built into a novel, or a novel in verse. I both listened to and physically read this book. Some of the parts/poems in this book were so moving, especially towards the end. I definitely cried!

This book is beautiful. You should read it.

1. I haven‘t been in a tent since college — RV or cabin.
2. Camp Slodown 🏕
3. Walden
4. My goal is to finish a book and read 1 hour a day.
#LitsySummerCamp

June has officially ended, so here‘s my monthly wrap up. Loving Amulet. Fave book is the tagged one.

#Booked2021 #PoetryOrWrittenInVerse
Michael, born in London of a Greek Cypriot mother and an absent Jamaican father, tells the story of his growing up, coming out & finding his voice in poetry & drag performance. Along the way he grapples with his own, and other people's, ideas about his identity. The writing was very YA, and not always obviously verse, but it raised some interesting points and overall I enjoyed it. A good one for audio. 👇

*4.5 stars*
THIS BOOK!! Ok so let me first start out by saying that this book is a masterpiece. It‘s written from a gay boy‘s POV, and as a gay person myself let me tell you this book was SO refreshing. It was the perfect balance of one liners and poems. It‘s a strong reminder of why it‘s is so important to love yourself first and it was honestly just such a good book.

Moving, honest, and heartfelt.

I had a couple of students this past year recommend this book to me, especially since I love books in verse. Glad I got to read this one in my short summer ! 🦩 The LGBT+ YA genre is a new one for me to read, and I love getting my student‘s input on their favorites !

Mmm. I‘m going to be the unpopular opinion here but this was only a middling reading experience. A bit wooden and text exchanges in the audiobook, complete with reading out emoticons, were tedious. Was hoping for more lyricism from this book in verse. It‘s a nice enough conveyance of memories but really nothing much happens except normal growing up challenges. And that‘s a good thing. That‘s progress for queer youth.

#queer

What an opener 😍

It was a quick short read. The Black Flamingo is the story of Mike and how he finds himself in doing drag. I enjoyed reading this. 4⭐️

To be honest this is a weak pick. I don‘t know what it is, but this story never pulled me in.

We met Michael mostly during his high school years and college. He‘s trying to find out who he is. He‘s gay, half Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican, but as his mom tells him “you can‘t be half anything, you can only be you” (not a direct quote from the novel). Michael feels that he‘s never enough of either.

#BookReport #WeeklyForecast

During the last week I suddenly realized that I had some books due back at the library that can‘t be extended, so I read the tagged book and started the one by Ernaux.

I started/ continued my buddy reads of Anne, Mansfield and the one by Faludi.

I started the last book in the Cromwell trilogy by Mantel.

In the upcoming week I hope to finish Ernaux and Mantel, and continue my buddy reads.

UPDATE: Finished Ernaux

This a very powerful book about finding yourself in such a cruel world. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 for me! #goodread #powerful #readmotebooks

This was such a good book in verse. I appreciated that the author narrated the audiobook! It was amazing seeing Micheal discover his Identity and just growing up. #ya #blackhistorymonth #bookinverse

“Remember, you have the right to be proud; remember, you have the right to be you.” - this line is everything . This is a beautiful coming out story. Michael uses his poetry to become the black flamingo. The truest expression of himself. This last year I came out as queer to my closest circle and I have been learning so much about myself. Everyday I change and grow and I am me. Not anything anyone wants me to be. Be you. Be proud . Read this book

For #IntegrateYourShelf, I picked a story of self-discovery. Discovering new parts about yourself to love is an important form of self-love. In this novel in verse, a teenager explores his mixed race gay identity through drag and learns to love the united parts of himself. #ValentinesDay

Going into this, I didn't realize it was a novel in verse. What a fun surprise! This book flows smoothly, and really captures the feelings of the main character. Mike is painted vividly in both narrative prose and poems written by the character. The book addresses many facets of identity and identity formation, especially related to LGBTQ+ identity, gender expression, and black identity. It also deals with homophobia and racism. #LGBTQ #Drag

It was a unexpected quick audiobook narrated by author. Intriguing and well written.especially liked the poetic parts. It‘s an YA and about racism.

“Your ignorance may be innocent, but the racism is real “ my fav quote. 3.5🌟

#audiobook #booked2021 #colourinthetitle #YA

“I am the black flamingo and the black flamingo is me trying to find myself “

#Firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl #YA #colourinthetitle

I really enjoyed this one! I am particularly in love with The Black Flamingo‘s performance at the end of the book. The first half of the show was on fire, and the second half: whew! 🔥 🦩🦩🦩🦩🦩

Recommend for a quick read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really enjoyed this. Loved the audiobook, author narrates it which I always think is best for these kinds of stories!

Love this cover art! Oh, and the flowers are from my local public library! They leave free bouquets for the taking when we pick up our holds. 🙂

I had gyoza with sesame sauce while I listened to THE BLACK FLAMINGO, which was wonderful. Between Dean Atta, Talia Hibbert, and Clare Lydon, October was a fantastic month for queer British books on audio. #audiocooking

Listened to this in one sitting! Loved how not traumatizing this story was and the integration of performance, and poems.

Some serious reads this summer. Books that made me think about Race and Identity. Passing, How To Talk, & Flamingo all excellent.

#MyNameIsAlexanderHamiltonReadAlong taught me history. #BooksandBrewsClub choose some big books: Hated Pillars. Loved rereading Gentleman.

Kept up with #top10challengedbooks & revisited The Pink Motel for old time sake. Mum - because mine too.
#summerstackwrapup #summerchallenges
#summmertimeandthereadingiseasy

A fantastic YA about a young boy growing up discovering who he is. This a a beautifully well written book, a great coming of age story. Highly recommended

I'm coming to realize that the books I'm enjoying the most are the ones I've been putting off for a while now, this is such a POWERFUL book like wow 💖👏👏 A story about identity, coming out, being black and mixed, and expression through art like #poetry and drag. You guys have to read this!! Warnings for homophobia and racism #youngadult #queer #lgbtq

#awesomeaugust @andrew65

TBF has 100 positive feedback on Litsy and for good reason. I really felt for M as we went through a whistle stop tour of his early years and his struggles of trying to identify with any particular group and the feelings that then generates when we are introduced to the titular character. Some characters fall off the map early on and I‘d love to have seen them grow too but it was a quick read that really made me feel something. Uncle B is so sweet

#bookreport #katies_always_booked
📖 News of the World
🎧 Undercover Bromance
🎧 Magic For Liars
📖 Beach Read
📖 George
📖 The Vanishing Half

#currentlyreading
🎧 The End And Other Beginnings
📖 The Black Flamingo
📖 Pride and Prejudice- yes, I‘ve never read it...

#weeklyforcast
🎧 Serpent and Dove
🎧 Everything Inside - Reese‘s Bookclub pick for August
📖 Far From the Tree