Welcome to Litsy!

Backstage of a 1950s drag show, there‘s banter, romance, jealousy, and community. And the lives of a veteran, an artist, and a performer intersect in ways no one anticipated.

This was such an unexpected delight. I loved the banter between all the queens, & their support even as they heckled each other. There‘s a lot of POV hopping that works for the most part. & a twist on all of my expectations, with a satisfying resolution. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

When Henry learns that the plague that killed his mother & drove his father away was man made by those in power, what else is he to do but team up w/ a ragtag group of rebels & dismantle the government?

A very interesting story of rebellion & hope in a vast solarpunk world. Lots of diversity & engaging characters. But very, very slow, until everything rushed to a head in the last little bit. Felt overly long, & pacing really lagged. 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Darius feels like he doesn‘t belong anywhere. Maybe a trip to Iran to meet his mother‘s family for the first time will allow him the space to find himself.

Oof. I related to Darius a lot. Depression from a young age combined with complicated relationships with his parents & younger siblings that feel like they‘re replacing you? I felt that deep in my chest. It‘s a slow book, & not a lot happens, but once we were in Iran, I was hooked. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

A collection of short stories interpreting generational trauma, self discovery, & queerness.

This was such a fascinating read! Change‘s use of fabulism & body horror felt almost ephemeral. I felt like I was trying to catch smoke in my fingers. “Dykes” and “Resident Aliens” were probably my favorite stories.

Definitely going to seek out more of Chang‘s work! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

A queer, polyamorous retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in modern day Miami.

Good god, but I loved this. This is a novella told in verse, written beautifully, and examining who our parents try to make us be. A sweet romance, which could have been developed a bit more, and I definitely want to read this again as an audiobook.

I was a little thrown by the lack of dialogue related punctuation, but I did eventually get used to that. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

The waters of the bayou are rising. People from town are disappearing. & Eugene finds himself entranced by the Bonnie & Clyde pair that‘s swept into town.

Wow can Powell set a scene! I could feel the heaviness of a Louisiana summer against my skin. & the insidious creeping horror as we don‘t know really know anything that‘s going on. Really reminds me of Alma Katsu‘s historical horror. & I‘m definitely going to look up more by Powell. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

When Ellie dreams of her recently dead cousin, her ghost speaking abilities help her realize that her cousin was murdered, & there is a much darker mystery at the heart of his Texan hometown.

Wow! This blew me away! The characters were all delightful. Absolutely loved the urban fantasy feels, in such a unique way. Excellent pacing & I was kept guessing on the bigger mystery right up until the end! Definitely an author to follow! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

An anthology of science fiction stories by queer voices and with queer representation.

Anthologies are pretty hit & miss for me, & this one didn‘t really hit. The stories were mostly fine, the narrators were great, but I want sci fi that I‘m still thinking about.

Although I will be searching out E Saxey, because the story Amelioration has me thinking about language & hateful rhetoric. I listened to that story twice before moving on. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

4 more bingos! @Kenyazero #LGBTQbookbingo

Kicked out of his family, Manny travels until he learns of an identified body near where he used to live. Worried that it‘s his sister, he returns to confront his past & everything he‘s been running from.

Such an intense read! Questions of identity, conformity, & the abuse of power by those supposed to care for the most vulnerable. Very clever with the changing POVs/fonts. & a supernatural twist I think could have been set up better. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑