Welcome to Litsy!

Another good installment in the Dr. Siri Padiboun series set in Laos. I love the curmudgeonly but compassionate Siri, as well as his interesting and often humorous observations on Laotian culture and politics.

#gottacatchemall (Goomy: set somewhere humid) @PuddleJumper

The first 3 books in the Giver Quartet each packed a big punch in a very compact story. This one didn't seem as strong, but it still gave a satisfactory conclusion to the series and answered questions about what happened to the various characters.

#gottacatchemall (Raticate: someone has to swim) @PuddleJumper

Two Metis cousins steal a herd of bison to release in an urban area, as an act of environmental activism. A good story, with plenty of humour and some suspense, that looks at the complexities of Indigenous issues.

I'm glad I found a book for the #52bookclub25 “includes a heist“ prompt, though I hadn't expected it would involve bison!

#gottacatchemall (Psyduck: someone loses control ) @PuddleJumper

It's always a pleasure to return to Kate Burkholder's world, and while the 16th installment had some plot twists that stretched believability a bit, it was still enjoyable. Love the characters in this series. Kate is gritty and tough without being obnoxious (actually, she kind of reminds me of Eve Dallas of the In Death series) and Castillo always writes the Amish as real people. It's also always fun to read books set in Ohio and actually know ⬇

I didn't realize this was a memoir comic when I picked it up, but it started to dawn on me as themes took shape. This is a lovely look into the author's life, the middle school experience, maintaining friendships, and growing up with devorsed and complicated parents. I enjoyed the way Tori's writing is represented, and the references to Harvest Moon charmed me endlessly. #Comics #Nonfiction #MemoirComic

I enjoyed this novel much more than I had expected to. It's a good exploration of grief and depression that is also funny and uplifting. The characters, most of whom were initially unlikable, grew on me as the novel progressed.

#ToB25
#52bookclub25 (standalone novel)
#gottacatchemall (Oricorio: a book with dancing) @PuddleJumper

Haru, a little blueberry-shaped bird, helps their best friend, a piglet named Yama, on an unexpected quest to do away with an immensely evil object. The pacing is a little off, but I absolutely love this first book. The characters are fun, the dialogue is charming, and the post-apocalypse setting is interesting. I enjoy that the characters don't fully understand their quest. The lighthearted but dark tone reminds me of Rice Boy.

This month's #WithTheBanned read is not gentle. It takes on internalized and external racism, generational trauma, and the harm of lack of diverse representation in media. It's a stunning read, but review the content warnings. The end includes an excellent afterward by the author that delves into her choice to explore these themes through the lense of such a traumatic, unaverage case. I was disappointed in what she equates homosexuality to.

The husband & I have been off this week, and instead of going to FL as originally planned, we've hunkered down and had the most relaxing, chill week ever - and three days left to go!! I've been reading up a storm and have completed 6 books so far this year. None of them were mind-blowing, but since it's the beginning of the year, they check off so many challenge prompts 😂 So here's the skinny (sorry for the hosts getting tagged multiple times!):