Welcome to Litsy!

Happy almost-May, readers! Our selection for the month is Crank by Ellen Hopkins. Hopkins‘ books were banned more frequently than any other author‘s in recent years.

Also, watch for discussion questions for our April read, The Perks of Being a Wallflower coming soon.

#WithTheBanned #buddyread

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Mid

Good poetry.

Novel-in-verse about meth and its snowballing effect on young Kristina Snow, her family, her body, her friends and her educational success…based on an actual family‘s experiences. There are 2 more books in the series.

#SeriesLove2023
#RushAThon Day 5

@TheSpineView @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

June 28 #VolunesandVocals Addiction KClarkson love her but never heard this song before. I loved this series, it's a hard look at Addiction from the daughters perspective @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

June 19 #BookMoods Told in Verse One of the best books I read on addiction and teens. There is three in the series, I read the second and waiting to get the third as I can't find it in the library. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Any fans of the Crank series? The real “Kristina” aka Cristal has a YouTube channel where she is sharing her story. She‘s still new and could use more love. So if you liked the books check out her videos ♥️

https://youtube.com/channel/UCiwg6O0GXOahBKLGj4N7GcA

Almost read in one day!

I'm back and have 11 books to read by my favorite author, Ellen Hopkins ❤

This is a must read for teenagers. For me, I liked the verse style writing and I‘m certainly glad my teen years are long gone! The things teens face today are horrid. Meth must be a horrible place for the user and the family.

Very disturbing, yet interesting, take on teenage drug use. Was a quick read, but definitely made me want to read more by Hopkins. I like that she isn‘t afraid to write about things that most people cower away from.

In the process of scaling back, these are going to a new home! Better for someone else to read them again than just sit in my basement.

"Have you ever had so much to say that your mouth closed up tight struggling to harness the nuclear force coalescing within your words? Have you ever had so many thoughts churning inside you that you didn‘t dare let them escape in case they blew you wide open? Have you ever been so angry that you couldn‘t look in the mirror for fear of finding the face of evil glaring back at you?" -Ellen Hopkins (CrANK)

“I am the face in the mirror, only not.“

Second book of #24b4Monday Excellent read if you're interested in gritty teen books about people with problems. A banned book because of sex and drugs.

I really love the way that Ellen Hopkins creates a story that is both poetic and easy to follow. The subject matter is tough when it is about addiction, but she uses her skill to create a contrast in the beauty of her writing and the ugliness of the subject matter. It is jarring, but efficient and I believe this is a big reason why when you read her books, they stay with you.

I picked up Ellen Hopkins's Crank after Sara mentioned it on our April Book Club episode. The novel has a HUGE impact, detailing the descent of Kristina Snow, a straight-A student, into drug addiction. I listened on @scribd, and--while I'm not sure I caught all of the layers of the verse because of listening--her story moves so quickly that it's easy to see how she was swept off of her focused course. (continued in comments)

Finished re-reading this yesterday... forgot how great it was! Book 5 of the year already, I‘m so far ahead of my goal of 25 books!

Great read!

Opens your eyes to the hard hitting stuff

I dunno. I found it well written but heavy handed. Maybe that‘s the way it‘s supposed to be.

I think this means I‘m a goodie two shoes, but I was this far into the book before I realized they were talking about meth. 🙀

Waiting for a friend at a lovely coffee shop in Lafayette. Assam tea and tiny cacti!

A little light reading on break at work.

Wasn‘t sure I‘d like this because I‘m not a huge poetry reader so to tackle a story told in verse form was huge for me. But what a powerful story. I‘ll be ordering the other 2 in the trilogy tonight and am looking forward to book group tomorrow. (Not the food, but the discussion—which is a change).

Book group is in a week. Probably I should read the book. 🤣🤣

When the first part of your week has been a 💩storm, #bookmail makes it all better.

Got more books yesterday 😏

This was fine. I loved the prose, but it‘s difficult for me to tell if that‘s the writer or reader. Had an overtone of judgement. Kind o a higher tw rated after school special. Looking forward to listening to the rest of the series, but was not blown away. 3 starts on Goodreads.

I have the hardest time with audio books,but I‘m finding reading and podcasts are keeping me awake. I‘m trying out listening on a timer before bed. Specifically looking for short stories and poetry is anyone had any recommendations!

I really liked this book. You can really feel her go from an innocent girl to a strung-out addict. It really digs deep into what addiction feels like and how it takes ahold of you. You feel for her and keep reading while you hold your breath to see if she wins or loses to the monster.

#7favesin7days day 1 of 7 @lauren.lerner

I am a product of the 80‘s. I grew up with “Just Say No,” D.A.R.E., and the War on Drugs. Throughout elementary school, my classmates and I were brainwashed with these messages. Our televisions were filled with images of eggs frying in skillets and the harm of drugs. For the most part, these messages worked on me. I avoided drugs all throughout high school. The first time I saw cocaine was in college. I immediately left the party.

Love love love

Crank by Ellen Hopskins is a book I avoided at first because of its unique writing style. I finally made the decision to pick it up and I am so glad I did. This book does a great job of portraying a normal girl spiraling down a bad path involving drugs. It does a good job expressing how drug users think about their actions and the extent they will go. I loved it and I hope you will too!

One of my favorite books that kept me up until I finished. A perfect #insomniacread! #septemberbookchallenge #septemberphotochallenge #autumnreads #imsobehind

I stuck it out with this book after I struggled to like it in the beginning. I really almost bailed. Anywho...I stuck with it and it turned out to be far better than I originally thought. The formatting is "ok" but I don't love it. I don't really have a lot to say about this one. I liked it and have a different perspective on addiction now. I'm just kind of left with a feeling of "meh".

Unpopular opinion? Im really not sure how much I like this, despite the fact that I'm flying through it. 🤔🙊 Is it worth it or should I bail and grab something else??

What other authors write novels in verse besides Ellen Hopkins and Kwame Alexander? I really like them.

Reading four books at once isn't that crazy... right?

Absolutely one of my favorite books. I have read it multiple times and love it more each time. Very insightful and a roller coaster. Highly recommend.

substitutes for love.

Ellen Hopkins is the only author I hold onto. I will read these books time and time again. I love her unique way of writing, and I can honestly say I never tire from her characters. This is not my full collection, as I am always lending these out to everyone who's never heard of these. "What?! You've never read her?! Here! Take this and read it! Soak it up! Bring it back when your ready! Oh my gosh, you're going to love them!"

Middle is all read books, on the right is text/reference books and not read, the left is unchanged mix of read and TBR.

Sometimes all you need is a cool font and background color, no pictures necessary. I love covers that focus on the font. #minimalistcovers #jubilantjuly

#quote #currentlyreading