Welcome to Litsy!

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

1. Casey McQuiston, Alison Cochrun, Timothy Janovsky, Alice Oseman, Ashley Poston, Anita Kelly, Alexis Hall, Charlie Novak (and probably more that I forgot atm)

2. Oh gosh it's hard to choose a favorite. Tied between RWRB (got me into queer romance) and SW&W (newest obsession)

3. In this same genre, Charlie Novak. I love following all her characters through to their HEAs and how all her series are subtly interconnected

#ReadYourKindle

What a truly lovely book this is! I loved its characters (particularly the nuanced depiction of neurodiversity), it‘s setting on the Pacific Northwest Trail and it‘s attitude to faith and family. I can see why it made you cry @Reggie - it touched my heart too ❤️

Alexei is hiking the 2000 mile PCT, trying to work through his being disowned by his family for being gay. Ben is also hiking the PCT for a new start after a string of bad boyfriends. The two meet and fall in love. This was slow, but steady, and by the end had burrowed itself into me, encircled my heart, squeezed it, broke it, and put it back together. Pick!

“Do they miss me?
Does it count if the person they miss isn‘t actually me?”

Picked this up on a whim because I saw it on somebody‘s 2023 favorites. It‘s a sweet romance about two hikers who fall in love while hiking from Mexico to Canada on the PCT. But more surprisingly, it‘s a study in grief and the importance of found family and packs quite a gut punch in several moments. Definitely brought some tears to my eyes several times.

My final fiction #ReadingBracket2023
I had a feeling this one would take the title, I loved it so much I read it twice. But there were some great contenders for the second half of the year. Overall a wonderful year of books 📚☺️💖

Oh this was so good. Lex and Ben are adorable and I love the development they each go through to reach the end. The plot was a sweet slow burn building to the perfect ending. I love how it all came together. The characters are all likeable especially Ruby. She was amazing. A heartfelt story. 5*

4/5

Alexei is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to figure out what direction his life is going to take now that he's become estranged from his homophobic parents and community when Ben literally runs into him. They decide to begin hiking together. It's a romance that builds gradually as the two become closer and closer as hiking partners and have to figure out what they want in their futures.

A quiet, character driven romance in which Alexei finds love and emotional healing while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Very moving, and also a good, non-stereotypical portrait of an autistic person.

My choice for “mountain on the cover“ for @faranae 's #URC challenge.

“The first sip was even better than taking off his shoes. It was so cold and so sweet. Like the plums in the icebox.”

Obviously the way to get me to read your book is to throw a reference to This Is Just To Say on page 12.

Fiction #ReadingBracket2023 update
This one is obviously the winner because it was so good I read it twice in one month. But I had a few other great 5 ⭐ reads as well that I'm sad didn't make the cut this month

I don't know that I have the words to describe how much I loved this book. I immediately reread it because I needed more Alexei and Ben. This is such a heartwarming story about two men walking the PCT, figuring themselves out, working through trauma, and finding love unexpectedly. It made me cry on multiple occasions.
The letter section 💔🥹 iykyk
#SeriesLove2023 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#LGBTQ2023 Nature @Kenyazero
#Pantone2023 Persimmon @Clwojick

This is my second book by Anita Kelly and I think they‘re maybe just not the author for me. Good rep, some funny moments, but an overall meh feeling.