Welcome to Litsy!

I could feel this book in my bones. It physically caused me pain. Because that's how good Hardcastle writes. I could feel the loss, the grief, the pain the characters went through. This is how intense this book is. So be careful if you want to read it (recommended!). Especially if you are personally involved in one of the topics. To me the parts about the AIDS epidemic in the 80ties was almost impossible to read.

I almost gave up on this audiobook within the first hour because I was having a hard time following which character was which. But it got easier and I‘m glad I stuck with it. It‘s heavy on heartbreak, but so beautiful. I just barely didn‘t cry at work while listening. 💔

Chosen family is family.

Like many others, I loved this, so thank you to the many Littens who have talked about this book over the past few months.

It follow the lives of 2 queer teenage girls in 70s / 80s Australia - one who is outed and joins a queer community and one who hides her sexuality and marries a man.

It did feel slightly patchy in places - I felt I knew ‘limb one‘ better but wanted to learn more about the queer community around her. I also felt the ⬇️

Two Australian teenage girls in the 1970s stumble through their first loves, both with other girls. One accepts her sexuality while the other chooses the safe option by marrying a boy. Their stories unfold in a moving and bittersweet way. The writing is gorgeous and poetic, the romance bittersweet.

Thanks for the recommendation @TrishB @Lesliereadsalot @Jas16

📸 Chester, UK

Thank you Barbara for my lovely gifts!

As you know, the tagged book has been on my radar for some time after all the Aussie Littens read it and raved about it!

And Slanting Towards The Sea is a fairly new addition to my wish list, having seen stellar reviews from @Jas16 @Lesliereadsalot .

I‘m looking forward to reading both at the same time/ similar time to you - maybe even a #buddyread at Gladstone‘s?!

Two women in Australia, leading their separate lives, following their own paths. I can‘t say enough about the language of this book: powerful, mesmerizing, poetic. How about amazing? We don‘t even know their names, but we know them in the deepest sense. We see them, although often others can‘t. A boatload of stars for this book, do not miss it. And thanks a bazillion to @Jas16 How could anyone not love this book?

Australian queer history, including the start of Sydney‘s Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, is showcased in this compelling dual narrative that begins in 1972 and spans two decades. Two vivid portrayals of young women & their romantic relationships. Being out (or outed) vs staying closeted: these two pathways lead to very different lives. The audiobook has two narrators and I loved it! #LGBTQ

… amidst the impossibility of it all, joy persists.

What a wonderful read. Very cleverly done. Full of sadness and society‘s nastiness, but also hope, friendship and love.
A great read ♥️

I could not have loved this book more. Two teenage girls in the 1970s experiencing their first loves, with other girls. They both choose different paths, one embracing her sexuality and the other trying to deny it. This book was devastating and beautiful and just gorgeously written. I will be spending the rest of the year trying to force everyone I know to read it, starting with all of you. All the stars.

There was a point while reading this novel where I almost gave up on it because I felt I was not getting it. But, I kept reading and it turned into one of the most beautiful examples of how the use of language can just turn your emotions into a rollercoaster.

Read this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #arc #NetGalley

US Pub Date: 6/3/25

Book two from the 2025 Stella Prize long list finished. Can‘t recall how this came to be on my radar, but when I saw it recently announced on the longlist I bumped it up.
I really liked it. The first half felt a little bit clunky to me but then it hit its stride and I didn‘t want to put it down. Excellent #queerfic #ozfiction #bildungsroman

It took me a while to realise what the author was doing here(I‘m a bit thick sometimes 🙄) but once I did it made a lot more sense. While I was moved by both strands of the story, the final coming together left me unsatisfied. For me, the 2 strands were uneven in their treatment of the inner emotional lives of the 2 central characters so it didn‘t quite add up. Nonetheless, Little Dave & their friends will stay with me for a while.
#ozfiction TW👇

Excellent. A best read for me. So good I‘m going to get my own copy. Set in the 80s and forward it reminds us what is was like to be queer then. Characters are very real and the narrator/ narrators bring to life the feelings of living then. The novel has been optioned by Sony so I look forward to see this on the screen someday.
It is certainly a celebration of queer life warts and all. Loved it. One of my top reads for this year. ❤️

A library visit to pick up tagged book and look what else I found.