Welcome to Litsy!

“I suddenly understood that if every moment of a book should be taken seriously, then every moment of a life should be taken seriously as well.”

#Diary

#SchoolSpirit

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#weekendreads

Reading Part-Time Indian for my “Banned Book Club,” but in the end I didn‘t have the energy to go to the meeting this afternoon. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Great book, though I understand why some parents would be bothered by it.

Reading The Postcard for #europacollective

Another reread but I think this is a really amazing book. It has so much social commentary on society and growing up and racism and such. Now that I‘m thinking about it I wish I brought it for my roomie to read bc she would appreciate it, maybe I‘ll get my mom to mail it to me. Anyways, I would totally teach this as a future middle school teacher (I think)

Book Interrupted‘s final book of our banned book season. See what we all had to say on the podcast here: https://www.bookinterrupted.com/episodes-podcast/episode/4e39e25d/the-absolutely...

This is the last book of Book Interrupted‘s banned book season and it was a good one. It‘s classified as a graphic novel but I‘d say it‘s a novel with drawings. Which I think really added to the story. This is a juvenile book so the narrative is very young, but I think it made all the difficult topics more accessible. Also the author didn‘t follow the formula of “bad guy or good guy” all characters were both. It was more “absolutely”true to life.

I stopped by our town's permanent Friends of the Library bookstore this morning to stock up on books (kids and teens mostly) for my Little Free Library. Got all 33 of these for just $25 (and all the money goes back to the public library, so yay for that). They won't all fit all at once, so I think I may try to read a few (like the tagged one) before they go out.

#lflsteward
#bookhaul

For @Ruthiella 😄

One for son, one for husband, two for me. 👏🏾 My lucky day to get the cookbook for $3!

I made it halfway. His allegations of sexual abuse make the scenes where he talks about women just kind of icky for me. Too bad, because it‘s a good story and well written. Why can‘t men just leave women alone?

#Movie2BookRecs @Klou
Prompt: Requiem for a Dream

Banned Books Week Bulletin Board! All my classes do a Banned Books activity. Last year, a set of books was withheld from Seward HS library without any oversight from the Curriculum Review Committee after the assistant superintendent decided that the titles were too controversial. Titles included: “I Am A Feminist,” “We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide,” and others regarding LGBTQA representation. Censorship happens near and far.

Excellent read. Unexpectedly heartbreaking and inspirational.

A tolerant grandmother, a coach/player relationship that is positive mentorship, the trials and tribulations of friendship, and a boy awakening to the inequities and cruelties of the real world in regards to race and economics. Yeah, exactly the kind of book that should be banned. Why build empathy in our young people? Please read this book and share it. Don‘t let the firemen win.

I picked this up at the library book sale specifically to add to my little free library. I don't have many YA books in there.

My book nerdy senses told me to read it first.

Am I ever glad I did!

This is the story of a boy growing up "different." He's learning about loyalty, loss, love, and finding his own way.

I cried on the last page.

So good.

This book made the list of the most banned in schools last year. Any book being banned is a tragedy and this one is no exception. It‘s smart, funny, and courageous. It‘s a YA that forces some pretty heavy thinking all while making you giggle. A must read!

Say it should be banned? Then of course I‘m going to read it and share! #buybannedbooks #readbannedbooks

A fascinating coming of age book about a unique boy on an Indian reservation and his observations of his family, friends, and tribe. The story focuses on friendship and a bit of romance but always with a character driven plot line. It gives an insiders view of life on the res and what it means to lead a double life between the white world and the res as a teen boy.

I loved the pov this was written from and it definitely made me bawl my eyes out to be honest

#BeginsWith #True

"Absolutely True" even! ?

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Junior decides to leave the Rez for a better education.

I enjoyed this story of Junior, there were a lot of sad moments but it was so witty and the cartoons rounded off everything nicely. I‘m glad I didn‘t listen to the audiobook on this one.

The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie

Unfortunately, here we have another great book with wide appeal written by a man who turns out to be a bit of a shit. It‘s a real shame how often this happens. The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian was a good young-adult read, but art does not and cannot exist in a vacuum. Full review with more info: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-in...

Junior makes the bold decision to leave the Rez and go to school at the wealthy white school in Reardon. This book details his struggle being in both communities and not quite a part of either. Definitely worth a read.

“I used to think the world was broken down by tribes,“ I said. “By Black and White. By Indian and White. But I know this isn't true. The world is only broken into two tribes: the people who are assholes and the people who are not.“ (page 176) Absolutely the best quote I‘ve read in a good while.
Going in, I hadn‘t realized that this was a memoir. I loved it. It was funny at times and sad in others. Great book.

Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

This is completely different from what I've explored so far (Which is not much, I think) but I'm really excited for this. 🍻📚
#nextread #bibliophile

A re-read for me. Just posting here to confirm this book is STILL AWESOME!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sad and hopeful and true to life. Growing up is so so hard and this story captured it wonderfully. #catsoflitsy

read this book!! such an easy read but full of lessons. wasn‘t it really controversial and banned once? idk but it was good

Pretending that I don‘t have to clean the house today before having my boyfriend‘s family over for dinner 😬

I‘ve been meaning to read this for years, so when it showed up in the library‘s audio collection, I thought I‘d give it a go.

It‘s a good story. Sad, funny (sometimes inappropriately so) and, in places, wise. A family that struggles, but supports each other. And hard-earnt friendships- I loved the friendships in this. Yes, I learnt stuff, and I enjoyed the audiobook.

The ‘but‘, of course, is the author‘s more recent history. Yet again I hit the

This coming-of-age memoir has a wonderful sense of humor, but the hardships Alexie overcame in his youth were harrowing. He adds comedy to those moments, esp with the cartoons, but being racially stereotyped, walking 22 miles to and from school, dealing with alcoholic parents, family deaths, loneliness, and overcoming brain seizures is a lot for anyone to handle.

“The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don‘t know.”

2021 Book Riot: Read a genre novel by an Indigenous, First Nations, or Native American author

This book has been on my radar for a long time. I guess I wished there was more? The author's note in the back of the 10 year anniversary edition eludes to Rowdy/Randy and Junior/his distanced adult relationship. Best friends couldn't have personalities that differed more, but for these two - it worked, and held each other up in their friendship.

“I used to think the world was broken down by tribes,“ I said. “By Black and White. By Indian and White. But I know this isn't true. The world is only broken into two tribes: the people who are assholes and the people who are not.“

I enjoyed this coming-of-age, indigenous voices story and the cartoons included. Junior / Arnold is forthright and charming in his odd way. And in the year that‘s 2020, I appreciated the messages about loss and grief when Native American people have lost so many to the virus.

Full review http://www.TheBibliophage.com
#thebibliophage2020 #bannedbooked #booked2020

“...well of course, man. We Indians have LOST EVERYTHING. We lost our native land. We lost our languages, we lost our songs and our dances. We lost each other. We only know how to lose and be lost.”

“The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don‘t know.”

I've read this book, because I am participating in the favourites roundabout on #bookcrossing. This was someones favourite of the year in 2019.
This was a sad book with a somewhat optimistic ending. It reminded me of the Highway of Tears. It's YA, but also suitable for adults. It'll travel further to Belarus.
TBR since July 24th. 2020, 230 pages.

#3bannedbooksiveread @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

This is my #BannedBook choice for this year- though I had heard a lot of good things in the past about this one, I had never gotten around to listening to it! Performed by the author, this is a poignant and powerful story that makes it easy to see where some take issue with it. The bonus content in my edition, plus some of my own research soured this a bit for me- but I still appreciate the story and writing itself! #AudioColoring #Booked2020

Based on the author's own experiences, this novel chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

#identity #flyhighjuly

You have no idea how often these type of books circulate at the library. I snorted when I read this part 😂

#QuotsyMay20 Day 1: #Coach

#deardiary

#magnificentmarch

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@OriginalCyn620

Write a brief summary of the novel; Junior is currently studying in the reservation school located in his town, he decided to leave his school in order to find “hope“
who was the protagonist; Junior
what was his/her problem and how was the problem resolved? Because of him leaving, Junior and his best friend got into a conflict.But, after one a basketball match Junior and his best friend reconciled.

Genre: Young adult fiction
Date Started: October 24, 2019
Date Completed: November 10, 2019
pages: 316
How did you choose this book: This book was recommended by a friend

So glad I finally read this one. Loved every bit of it. Gonna add more Sherman Alexie books to my tbr. #bannedbooksweek

“Really good books and cartoons give you a boner...you should approach each book—you should approach life—with the real possibility that you might get a metaphorical boner at any point.”
#bannedbooksweek

Kicking off #bannedbooksweek by starting one of 2018‘s most challenged books.