Welcome to Litsy!

Author Leah Johnson opened Loudmouth Books in Indianapolis and it‘s amazing! Full to the brim with banned books and a wonderfully curated selection. I particularly loved the separate room for kids. Yay for more independent bookstores!

I had to take a break from Tolkien and #LOTRchapteraday as well as some other books I had been reading. “You Should See Me in a Crown” has kept me engaged this morning at work. I haven‘t enjoyed a book set in a high school in a long time. #audiobook

Yay! Loudmouth Books is finally opening in Indianapolis this weekend. I‘m so excited that another independent bookstore is opening here, especially one focused on banned books. If you are in the area, the grand opening is 10am - 6pm tomorrow.

📸: Photo of Leah Johnson (author/owner) and John Green visiting to sign books for the store from the #LoudMouthIndy Instagram.

Thought I‘d share this awesome author and her project here I love her books and her goal to open an indie bookstore in Indianapolis.

If you want the link to donate it‘s below!
https://gofund.me/83f21f37

I only managed to get one read off the #auldlangspine list from @mrsmarch but it was delightful! It was sweet without being saccharine without too much teen angst and a good message.
I‘m hoping to get to a few more read off the list throughout the year. Thanks for another fun swap @monalyisha ! 🤓

This book was SO cute. 🥺 I thought it was going to be a fluffy prom story, but it actually tackled deeper topics like racism and homophobia. I really liked it!

Does anyone else stay in bed to read on a Sunday morning?

I'm enjoying a caramel latte and starting my next assigned book. This one was on my TBR so I'm excited. 🤓

This week's required reading for class 🤓

I was really liking you Liz Lighty, I really was. 🤣

My husband says we need dinner, but do we really? I mean how can I go make dinner being this close to finishing?

Trying to keep up with #weeklyforecast posts this year to hopefully keep me on track with my reading goals. We‘ll see how that goes. 🤓

It‘s 10 am and the hubby‘s not up, which means quiet time to start my first book of the year. An #auldlangspine pick from @mrsmarch that was also on my 2021 list from @MallenNC . Here we go!🎢

Title: You Should See Me in a Crown
Author: Leah Johnson
Published: June 2nd, 2020
Genre: Young Adult
Awards: Stonewall Book Award
Summary: This is a story about a girl who thinks she is too black to be anything special in her small town. Liz soon starts to plan out how she can be the queen of her small town.

#AlphabetGame #LetterY

Such a cute and affirming read

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This was so cute! My daughter asked me to read it, so I did, and I loved it. I got a little teary, smiled a lot, and reminisced about my own high school proms. 🪩❤️👗

Oh no, three ebook holds came off within a few hours. 😂

Ok, so THIS teenage story I can get behind! Not that it is revolutionaryly different than everything out there, but the bar for basic representation is still pretty low. Having a black queer teen get her happy ending felt pretty good! If high school low key drama is your thing, this is a solid pick!

Great book!

A story of high school senior, Liz, trying to become prom queen for a scholarship to go to her dream school. I loved the queer representation in this book, however I think it was immature and I found myself a little annoyed at times. I felt too old for this book.
In search of some adult sapphic romance books, please recommend/ comment some!! Please!!

Finally finished another book😂 I liked this one! The different friendships were all developed so nicely and of course the romance was cute! I also really liked the narration of the #audiobook.

🎧 LGBTQ, BIPOC, feel good, prom story. 💜

Tried covering a lot of themes but seemed superficial!

This YA LGBTQ+ contemporary romance was so cute. The storyline in some ways seemed reminiscent of Prom (the musical)–I mean, a gay Indiana teen being ostracized because of prom things? In other ways, the novel reminded me of my own conservative midwestern town with powderpuff football games and tall cornfields. Liz as she tries to balance everything, complete with drama at each event. I thought it was also predictable but lovely.

This audio bookended the loss of my Nana, but its humor, sweetness, and amazing underdog story were just what I needed to get me back into reading. This book is excellent and the narration is phenomenal! 🏳️‍🌈

Got this back today! Thanks for the fun round @kellyann28 @Erinreadsthebooks @ads0123 #lmpbc

#MightyForever #yalit

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Well, gosh, this has all the good feels! In an effort to win a much-needed college scholarship, Liz – an unlikely candidate in her boujee Indy ‘burb high school – runs for prom court. Prom was def not like this at my school, but I‘m rolling with it for the sake of a compelling, endearing story. Loved Liz and her friendship, relationship, and familial drama as it all felt genuine. My favorite kind of YA. A common trope, yes, but it works.

Still loving this pint glass, @HeatherBookNerd ❣️❣️ Listening to the tagged book while cooking dinner. Really fun so far!

#multitasking #booksandbooze

I loved this! The writing was great, the character development was fantastic and the teenagers behaved like teenagers which is sometimes rare in YA novels.

This was a very affirming read and exactly what I needed.

Adding to the lgbtq+ bingo as coming out scene

#catsoflitsy #lgbtqbookbingo #lgbtq2021 @Kenyazero

Charming and sweet with some @TheAromaofBooks characters to keep it interesting. I understand the hype; Leah Johnson has a great voice and I really enjoyed this debut! I love the romance, the honesty and the sparkle. #pride #ownvoices @TheAromaofBooks #BookspinBingo

Very cute! An overall happy read!
#pridemonth 🏳️‍🌈

#bookspinbingo

While waiting for more essays to score for the AP exam I finished reading this. It‘s been on my #tbr pile for awhile now and I absolutely adored it! The teens are believable and I am glad (most) of the adults were supportive in this one (sometimes with YA I only see the adults portrayed as mean spirited and hateful so I love books that cast them in roles as allies). Great read for pride month 🏳️‍🌈 #lgbtqreads

This debut novel deserves all its hype. Liz is such a relatable teen. The drama of high school is that of determining what parts of yourself you are hiding in order to fit in. And her, which ones just don‘t matter. Liz also happens to be a black girl in a southern (homophobic + racist) town where they only care about prom season. Literally. I really liked the raw emotions between Liz and her old friends. Love Mack “ruining” plans for the better

YES!! Avatar is the best show! I‘m liking this friend group and their being so supportive
This is bringing me back to high school. Mine didn‘t have prom royalties, small place, but we sure did have all those clicks and social hierarchies. There can be lot to worry about

A great YA read. Liz has always thought she‘s too black, too poor and awkward to shine in her hometown.
She wants to apply for college but financial aid is refused and that is when she finds out about her schools scholarship program for Prom Queen & King.
Liz must now endure social media, public events and her evil competitors if she wants follow her dream.
A cute heartwarming tale of first love and high school drama❤️

#WeekendReads
1. Tagged.
2. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
3. Death Sets Sail by Robin Stevens (Part of a book swap)

Such a fun read! Liz is honestly one of my top favorite YA characters of YA books I have read thus far this year- hilarious, witty, kind, and loving. The author‘s writing is spectacular, and her character development of not only Liz and Amanda, but her other characters as well make it a very great read. I had heard so many good things about this book, and I am glad to have finally read it! ⬇️

#FirstLineFridays
“I‘m clutching my tray with both hands hoping that Beyoncé grants me the strength to make it to my usual lunch table without any incidents.”

Book mail 📚🥳

Finished this one this week! It was definitely a cute, feel good read! I will get this mailed out first thing on Monday! #LMPBC 💜 @Erinreadsthebooks @ads0123 @TheBookKeepers

Starting this today for our #LMPBC ! 💜

@TheBookKeepers @ads0123 @Erinreadsthebooks

Solid YA book that I read in a day! It took me a little bit to get into the characters‘ teen way of speaking (I felt so uncool) but then I was all in. For me, it was a great book to borrow from the library but not own, but I get the sense others loved it more.

Our narrator Liz Lighty is just ... omg, adore her. Liz's desire to become prom queen starts because of the scholarship it comes with, but as she begins the process of drawing attention toward herself, navigating that very painful and complicated journey of adolescent social interactions, and trusting that she deserves every happiness presented to her, the prize at the end of all this represents something else entirely.

Good morning! I have never been so invested in the results of a prom court before. The rom is killing me w the cute. alternating btwn reading the book & listening to the audiobook- which is wonderfully done- & I wish I was commuting & my train was late so I could keep reading!

Liz enters into her school's prom queen competition in order to have a shot at a scholarship. Along the way, she deals with the ups and downs of friendship, racism, homophobia, classism, and the nuances of dating. I really enjoyed this read. The characters were compelling and the story flowed nicely from scene to scene. Content warnings for panic attacks, sickle cell anemia, racist bullying, and homophobic bullying. #LGBTQBooks #QueerBooks #YA

Every week, I highlight #LGBTQAuthors as part of #TheRainbowShelf 🏳️‍🌈 Leah Johnson is a professor of creative writing and composition, an author, and an editor. She is a 2021 Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Fellow. Her debut novel has been featured on Reese's Book Club, Cosmo, and was a 2021 Stonewall Honor Book. #LGBTQ #QueerAuthors #QueerBooks #LGBTQBooks

Finished! @Erinreadsthebooks @kellyann28 @ads0123 I‘ll get it in the mail this week #lmpbc

This is an old photo but I‘m wishing I was at a pool so it‘s fitting 😂

An Indiana teen struggles to find her place as she balances her passion for music with her anxiety and her high school's ingrained prejudice against her. Despite the heavy subject matter, this book is so full of joy. Liz felt so real and was easy to connect with. Her vulnerability and strength were beautiful and you can't help rooting for her. As a Hoosier, I loved all the Indy references. It was so fun to recognize places I‘ve grown up in.