Welcome to Litsy!

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander month so that our theme this Monday! #AAPI

Christina Soontornvat wrote the tagged book- a Thai-inspired retelling of Les Mis with magical elements that rocked my world and in doing so became a must-read author for me! In this version, the daughter of the prison warden hunts down a prison-born boy who is trying to escape his doomed life.

What titles would you recommend for #MiddleGradeMonday ?

So unique and funny. I loved the set up-a reality show that gives two strangers 6 weeks to convince their families they are in love and getting married. And they have to plan a wedding at the same time. Shenanigans ensue and LGBTQ+ vibes abound. I get the hype! #pride #ownvoices #BookspinBingo Finished this just under the wire for 3 bingoes! @TheAromaofBooks

"No hair and no teeth, she's covered in scars. No fingers, no leg-"

Well-done if disturbing & violent. They're 17th Century pirates, what you gonna do?

Based on a historical character; god rest her soul. Those were violent times especially for a Black lesbian woman; yet Jacquotte, she fights, she conquers.

You can count this as an #ownvoices by a queer, disabled author. Check, check if you try to keep track of those things. ?‍❤️‍?‍??‍☠️

#poetrymatters
@TheSpineView
#turtle

Have been working my way through this short story collection over the last few weeks. It has stories from some of my favorite queer YA authors. Like most collections, there were some really great stories & some duds but overall I liked the majority of them. The cast of characters was diverse & the genres mostly contemporary, with some sci-fi & magical realism.
#LGBTQ2024 yellow cover @Kenyazero

This book for me was so-so everything was everywhere in this book one happy scene than it would quickly switch to a intense scene. I'd still read it when I get bored for nostalgic reasons 6/10 for me.

For the people who have read this book you'll understand.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Powerful middle grade. This was a buddy read with my 6th grader. Themes of bereavement, alcohol abuse, homelessness, bullying, and financial insecurity are all heavy topics but portrayed in a way that didn't sugarcoat any of it and will leave young readers to feel "seen" and "understood" but characters that may have similar circumstances to themselves.

I‘m all about a book with an Austin, TX setting - such a fun city. I‘ve been reading some heavy books of late and this one was just fun. You know you‘re in for laughs when in the opening scene the MC is flagrantly cheated on by a cad and her immediate revenge is to befriend not just one but two of said cad‘s other lovers.

This is such a tiny little volume that I almost feel like I cheated, but it does contain #ownvoices poetry from the #SolomonIslands. Is it good poetry? I don‘t really know, as I‘m not a poetry reader, but it‘s interesting and gave me a little flavor of what people from there might think about. There are also 2 poems in both pidgin and English, which I really liked.

#ReadingOceania2024