Welcome to Litsy!

I think this book is really for people that are already fans of this author. Or fans of their book Freshwater. Otherwise this might just not make any sense. I appreciated it and will continue to read anything they write, at least the adult books.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

As usual, Emezi challenges me. Which I think is great. It is interesting to listen to their journey both with publishing and their body.
I did find my mind wondering a bit but overall I enjoyed this.
3.5⭐

Vulnerable, honest, intense.
Epistolary essays on spirituality, gender, sense of self, being a writer, relationships, intimacy/desire in the face of past trauma, mental health.
As can happen with the profoundly personal, especially in regards to those with religion, there are aspects of this memoir I can't relate to, but that I sincerely hope were a helpful catharsis for the author. 1/?

Your identity does not require arbitration by others.

☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻

This is such a fantastic book to read after being blown away by Freshwater (You Made a Fool of Death was not for me). It's a memoir in letters & details the process Emeze went through in writing Freshwater, but it's also so much more: a document of queer life, of embodying Igbo ontology, the publishing industry, survival. So much was relatable, but it also taught me a lot. Like with Freshwater, I felt gifted with the ability to see differently.

The highlight of this week‘s #bookreport and #weeklyforecast is definitely the tagged book, but I‘m also loving Crazy Rich Asians which I just started the other day and am having a hard time putting down. @Cinfhen

The first book I‘ve completed this year that I immediately know will end up in my top reads of 23!I‘ve never read something that simultaneously reflected me in so many places, spoke to me on such a deep level, & also completely challenged my western-centric view of reality. This was a difficult read. I wasn‘t able to take in more than a ch or 2 a day, so I‘ve been sitting w it for almost a month, & I‘m glad I took the time.👇🏼

In the middle of this memoir by an #AuthorOfColor that‘s one of the most intense pieces of writing I‘ve ever tackled. #MarchMagic @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Thank you to @TheBookHippie for reminding me this was happening next week! I‘ll be joining Christine and over 150 others on various platforms in this #TransRightsReadathon from March 20-27. I‘ll be posting here and on instagram, you can check out my instagram post for more info.

Get involved any way you can!

https://www.instagram.com/linking/fundraiser?fundraiser_id=1614824618955963&sour...

https://instagram.com/p/Cpu4BhKsweA/

Finished this lovely-written epistolary memoir on audiobook while on vacation. The themes are fairly dark, if ultimately hopeful, and I found myself growing impatient with the author at times. Since the book consists of a series of letters, each is very much a snapshot of the author‘s state of mind at certain points - preping for a book tour, after a breakup, after surgeries, etc - which was nice in that it encapsulated change… but also ⬇️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This such a powerful read!! I really feel like Akwaeke Emezi is what they claim. They've had many MANY downs, things people don't talk about as negatives to being a well known author, esp being poc and female presenting. But Akwaeke is also so much more, and the way they wield words is just amazing! There's a sensuality in everything they do, a confidence, defiance, and just idk, THEM. It's the first time I've read something like this

So I kind of want to read all of #AkwaekeEmezi s books now 😳 And since I need a memoir for my #lgbtqbingo I thought this would be my chance to get through another of their books! #jubilantjuly #readathon

A hell of a memoir. I loved this format, telling of their life through letters to others. I will continue to read everything they ever write because I‘m so captivated. I also love that they read their own audio books.

This was an interesting book - nothing like anything is read. They are a great writer - beautiful prose. I liked the letter format. At times however, the overall narrative flow didn‘t seem very cohesive. There was a disconnect, for me, with the materialistic capitalistic desires and pursuits that are very normal in life, and the discussion on being a deity or god

This was intriguing and worth reading, but a (good) challenge. Emezi, a trans Nigerian, says “Imagine being gbanje like me,“ a divine spirit born to a human mother. The book isn't a linear narrative but a series of reflective and poetic letters to different people: I found rich and inspiring segments, but also felt lost some of the time. (Print might have been better for me, though Emezi's voice is wonderful.)
#Nonfiction2021 #Transgender

We‘ve spent too long with the leash of what other people think on us. We mask so well for them. We know how to see through their eyes, how to climb in and lean against their retinas. When I look at myself through them I know to fold this part, turn down the volume here, accentuate there, so I can pass, so they think they see me, And that creates a gentleness there. They can‘t actually see me, but they think they can.

“Back when I was studying Rumi, I tried reaching for humility, a sort of grace, rising above things, deep wells of compassion and all that shit. I‘m not saying there aren‘t gods like that, I‘m just saying I‘m not one of them. Maybe it‘s also an ogbanje thing. My brothers and sisters are terrible little spirit children, you know? I think they gave me some trickster residue...quick to burn things down.

This was an intense read for me, I could only read it in small amounts per day so it took me awhile to finish. This author at times writes utterly beautiful, opens up about everything brutally honest, I loved it. What a talented writer. 5 big ❤❤❤❤❤ #LMPBC #GroupN #Round12 @Hazel2019 @ncsufoxes @Amiable Thank you so much for sharing these fascinating novels.

My one book for the month. I have been editing my thesis proposal, which I am getting ready to defend so that has been taking all of my time up. Every time I try & read at night I fall asleep after a page or two, so I haven‘t made much progress. Hoping to squeeze in more free reading time next month.

This was between a pick & so-so for me. There were definitely different parts of the book that were difficult to read (depression, trauma, suicide). I have not read any books (that I recall) by a trans author. I have been trying to expand the stories that I read as I continue to commit to JEDI (justice, equality, diversity, inclusion) principles. I feel that stories that come from a different perspective are important to read, even when difficult

I‘m not sure how to review this one. There were parts I really liked and parts I really didn‘t. The writing is very good, however—the author has a gift for putting words together. I‘m glad this was a choice for #LMPBC, though —it‘s totally different from anything I would have picked up on my own and it pushed me out of my normal reading comfort zone.
#Round12 #GroupN

Just starting this one.

I‘ve read all their fiction books so far, but this is a first memoir.

#lgbtq

What to say? I‘m not reviewing this because I can‘t get my feelings straight, but I did finish it. Their writing is beautiful and evocative, as always. Their gender/spirit journey and career insights were fascinating. While their suicidal ideation is 💯 understandable in the context of their life, it was 💯 hard to stomach so often in the book for me. The push and pull between god language/metaphor and straight memoir was not enjoyable. ⬇️

The last of my #PrimeDay haul. I kept waiting for Dear Senthuran to go on discount, and it finally did yesterday, so I scooped it up with TCG on a BOGO 50% deal. I think I‘m set on nonfiction for awhile!

Went to visit my former co-workers at the store and of course had to come home with some of their recommendations.

Mom brought me an advanced readers copy - so excited!! A treat to get to know Emezi better, in awe, need to round up with friends who have also read it. So excited for their future releases!

Everything I‘ve read by Emezi is good, including this memoir in letters. I could have flooded my feed with quotes- the sentences sing. It was also difficult for me, because their way of looking at themself, the world, & their embodiment is so very different from my own experiences & understanding. Which is intentional- “The only map I am making is the one within myself. I am translating less and less, and my writing is better for it.” #ARC

New Release June 2021!!!!!👀🙋🏾‍♀️
I canNOT WAIT!!