Welcome to Litsy!

Two of the apprentices team up to take on the next test in their academic journey: get their chosen bird creature through an ancient stone tunnel. This absurdly beautiful and adorable manga took a bit of a Full Metal Alchemist turn in this volume. #Manga #Magic

What stories are told through implication and subtext alone? Haunted by her family's secrets, Temim chases this question, as well as seeking connections with her Jewish and queer identities. I enjoyed this fairly abstract but vividly told book. I wish we had a bit more closure but given everything else I think that wouldn't have been true to this story's nature. I enjoyed the connections with Polish Jewish ancestors, that's my family's story.

Like any short story collection, some stories were more enjoyable than others. I definitely had fun reading this and getting to know or re-experience so many wonderful authors, and I love a good collection with trans and nonbinary characters. My favorites might be the one with the storm lighthouse and the one narrated by the magic school. #LGBTQIA #Magic #ShortStories

Another fun continuation of this story. I am enjoying seeing the characters slowly grow through their relationships. I wish we saw a little more growth through their music like we did in the first two volumes, but that's my only tiff. #LGBTQIA #Manga

Follow Ash as they prepare to run away and live in a cabin their grandpa built in the woods (if it exists). Beautifully illustrated and told. My adult perspective on this book (worried about the logistics of Ash‘s safety and their family‘s fear and grief for their missing teen) is probably a lot different than how teens would experience the book. #Survival

A witch who lost her powers after casting a resurrection spell as a child uses her now minimal powers to manage her chaotic inn and the wayward folks it brings in. I enjoyed this cozy tale and all of its charming characters. I wish Posey and Clementine got to be more character than a plot device though. #Cozy #Fantasy

Mimi discovers the art of magical baking while preparing for a baking competition at a local cafe and chaos breaks out within her family. This is a fun adaptation borrowing from A Midsummer Night‘s Dream. I enjoy books with kitchen magic, and Mimi is a charming character. This is middle grade, but it did feel like she was a little more clueless than I would have expected. #Magic #Baking #MiddleGrade #Adaptations

A complex cast of characters find themselves ripped from their lives when their latent magical powers emerge. In their new magical home that may be slowly dying, everyone has their own reasons for wanting to leave or stay. If you enjoy not-quite-rooting for gray characters in tenuous situations, this is a good one for you. I wish the mom got to be more than just a mom. #LGBTQIA #Witches

While trying to avoid attention, Tao stumbles into an adventuring party‘s quest and builds a found family along the way. This is charming and funny, with sweet characters. A low pick because it just reads like someone‘s D&D campaign with slightly flat characters and underdeveloped side characters and elements of the story. #Fantasy #FortuneTelling #Cozy

Leo and Grim begrudgingly go on a quest together to remove a curse that binds them together. This was such an incredibly fun read! Adventure around every turn of the page. I wound up reading through the climax twice before finishing the book to take it all in again. #LGBTQIA #MusicMagic #Fantasy