Welcome to Litsy!

Historical Fiction, Asian-Pacific Islander, Black America

another one down but still a couple of books behind…keep chugging along lol #readinggoal #readinglife #audiophile #aapimonth

This book was so satisfying to read. Historical setting ✅ strong female lead ✅, passion and courage ✅. Even better were the plot twists I never saw coming. There were times where I felt like I was next to Jo feeling what she was feeling.
Honestly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Does anyone have any tips for reading through college? Since classes started up again I‘ve been having the hardest time picking up a book and reading. Before school I could read a book in a day! Now I have a hard time even reading a chapter a day. Tips and advice needed!!

June 1 #VolunesandVocals EdgeofSeventeen by StevieNicks. I actually have never heard this song. Not a Stevie Nick's fan. So. I picked a book about being 17. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I thought this was a pretty good YA story about race and class in Suffragette era Atlanta GA. It had a few surprises I didn‘t expect.

It took a while for me to get into this book. I don‘t know if it was the short time spans I had to read it in or the book itself. Once I got into it though, I stayed in until the wack familial twists. I can deal with one, sure, when it‘s been focused on for a while in the book, but two is too much for me. Beyond that however, I enjoyed the read. 4⭐️

A very fitting quote for me today.

An expert teen Chinese milliner in the South finds her voice as an advice columnist in the local paper for Southerners. This book explores southern society during the suffragette movement and segregation with diverse and dynamic characters #Bildungsroman I really enjoyed this #reesesbookclub pick. It‘s been a while since I‘ve read #historicalfiction and I‘m a total #covergirl

Today's the LAST DAY of May so let's celebrate by talking about more books for AAPI Heritage Month! Also it's Mirgalad's first Book Rec appearance! 😃 🐉 📚 Please watch and give them a like! I really appreciate the support! ❤

YA Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1i46MhOHZc&t=6s

Adult Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yUm1rVe5Y

I enjoyed this story of Jo Kuan and her struggles to find a place in the world. I was particularly happy with the author tackling the issue of white feminism and the portrayal of black solidarity.

#LitsyAtoZ #D✔️

Set during the end of Reconstruction and the dawning of Jim Crow, you follow a witty young lady of Asian descent who‘s struggling to find footing in a world that has firmly placed her in the category of other; neither black nor white. Jo, like Jo March, finds an outlet in writing. The letters and the responses from “Miss Sweetie” were my favorite part of the book. Overall, a great read that highlights a demographic often ignored in U.S. history.

This was an interesting read about an Asian girl who was raised by “oldGin” and secretly lived in the basement of a wealthy family in “some town in America.” The old biases and racist treatment of women and POC are demonstrated in the book. I am uncertain if these aspects were historically core or not. But entertaining nonetheless. If I could give a 3.5 or 3.75 stars I would.

Finished another great audiobook! I love listening while I drive!! Great historical fiction .. and another grand slam from Reese‘s Book Club!!

To see my #review #bookreview of #staceylee‘s #thedownstairs girl, head over to my #bookstagram, or check out this link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVNd4C6l5NQ/?utm_medium=copy_link

Hi, everyone! I have a #booktok account! Simply look up my username (historybookreads) in TikTok to follow me! Here‘s the link to my profile: www.tiktok.com/@historybookreads

My book club book is giving my four cheese pasta the side eye.

Book 91/150.

While "watching the Olympics" with the hubby I finished this lovely book. I was charmed by Jo, Old Gin, Noemi, Nathan, Bear, and, even, bizarrely, Caroline. I liked learning a bit about some aspects of history I wasn't familiar with and I appreciated seeing Jo carve her own path.

I really enjoyed this book. The main character was very likeable and I loved how strong she was. There was a found family aspect that I enjoyed. The writing was fantastic. 4.5 stars. Highly recommend.

"Being nice is like leaving your door wide-open. Eventually, someone's going to mosey in and steal your best hat. Me, I've only one hat and it is uglier than a smashed crow, so if someone stole it, the joke would be on their head, literally. Still, boundaries must be set. Especially boundaries over one's worth." Well that's an awesome start to a book.

Starting this book tonight. It's about 17 year old Jo Kuan who works as a lady's maid by day and an advice columnist by night. In Atlanta in 1890. She starts using her column to address racism and sexism which doesn't make the column popular and she runs the risk of being found out. She's also searching for her birth parents and that search puts her in the crosshairs of a notorious criminal.

This one honestly started a bit slowly for me. It's been awhile since I've read YA, so I think that was part of it. I've been reading it off and on since May, but when I reached the halfway point, the story started to click for me. This book explores the history of Chinese immigrants in America in a way that is not often told. It also includes a family mystery, and sweet romance. 4/5 ⭐

Well written, interesting story, but made me very sad. Jo is struggling to find her place in a world that is dead set on not accepting her, and as she gains knowledge about her past and her family, she has to choose whether to be herself or be what society tells her to be. It‘s hard to read this as a person of mixed Asian descent, but it‘s really well written. 4/5 stars. Read if you like Lisa See but ant more Romance

My Georgia book for #ReadTheStates. Really enjoying so far!

#yanovel #ya #historicalfiction #historicalnovel

#QuotsyJun21 #Ground
@TK-421

While I haven't NOT been doing #BookSpinBingo the last few months I also haven't been trying hard apart from my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin. I think this month I'll work on bingo again. 😁

• Read in May 2021 ...
#suvataReads #AprilStats #Bookly #BooklyApp #Bookstagram

Jo Kuan is a young woman living in segregated Atlanta after the Civil War. She‘s a strong character & shares her opinions fearlessly in a creative way. Much of the novel was predictable, but it‘s still entertaining. It was a slice of history, particularly the Chinese American experience, that I knew little about.

“Old Gin and I have managed to fit ourselves into a society that, like a newspaper, rarely comes in colors other than black & white.”

These are my bonus books for the #Asianreadathon. I'm honestly not sure if I'll get to them before May is over, as I have one more book not for the readathon that's due back at the library before these, but I'm looking forward to reading them. The countries represented are the Philippines and China.

This book was an eye-opener of what's it like being a woman and an Asian in a community from way back then. And the story is so good too! #ya #historical

• ModernMrsDarcy.com #MMD pick for May 2021

The Downstairs Girl is set in Atlanta in the 1890s. After Jo Kuan, a seventeen-year-old Chinese American, is fired from her job at a milliner shop, she takes employment as a ladies maid to the spoiled and mean daughter of on one of Atlanta‘s wealthiest families. On the side, Jo secretly writes a ladies advise column for the local paper under the pseudonym of Miss Sweetie.

Here is my May list for #bookspin #bookspinbingo with @TheAromaofBooks

I may start one or two of these soon and swap others in.

I love this book so much! 😍🤩 I learned a lot about the treatment of Chinese Americans in the post-Civil War South and thoroughly enjoyed the various storylines and how they all came together. Excellent storytelling! #mmdbookclub #ModernMrsDarcy

Excellent and compelling story. I learned a lot about Chinese-American citizens in the post-Civil War south. My only criticism is that there was a lot going on, but I would definitely recommend. Also, I wish I had a photo album of all the amazing hats described!

Sunday morning while the snow continues to fall outside...
I am pleasantly surprised at the enjoyment of this book thus far.

Thank you @Gaylagal2 for my #BookCupidSwap. I can‘t wait to read the book and Dove chocolates Yum! That bag might just get me through tax season! 😆. Happy Valentines Day! Thanks @candority for hosting!

#whiteboard #pinups #litsylove #teachersoflitsy

I spy lots of #litsylove on my white board. Looking at it every day fills my heart. Thank you Misty!

Absolutely loved this #newyearwhodis pick from @DebinHawaii ! I'd never heard of the book, but it was such an interesting and dynamic story set at the end of the reconstruction era, that I couldn't put it down once I started it.

@monalyisha

#12Booksof2020
This was a really interesting historical fiction novel set in the 1890s. Jo works as a lady's maid, and secretly lives below a print shop. She can hear everything that goes on in the print shop, and anonymously submits advice column articles when the newspaper loses readers and needs help to retain subscribers.
@Andrew65

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It was so nice to read a historical fiction book again. I enjoyed learning more about what life was like for Chinese immigrants in the southern United States during the “New South” years.

So excited to get started on this #newyearwhodis list from @DebinHawaii ! There are so many books that I'm excited to read, but I'm going to start with The Downstairs Girl and The Sundown Motel! If I have time I'll follow up with If I Had Your Face, Know My Name, and A Woman is No Man. Although, I'm very much a mood reader so really this whole plan could change at any moment 😂

@monalyisha

#BookReport - Finished 3 books this week. I really enjoyed them all! So it was a good week. Will probably be my final stats for #NovelNovember - We are hosting a small Friendsgiving today (just 4 of us)

Currently 90 pages into Fever of the Blood and I needed an audiobook so I started The Trials of Morrigan Crow

#WeeklyForecast - Not too sure. We aren‘t going anywhere for Thanksgiving so it‘ll probably be a quiet week with lots of reading.

I really liked this book. It was a different perspective of segregation in the 1800s in Atlanta. Jo is a 17 year old Chinese girl who works as a maid for a cruel mistress. She lives in the basement of a newspaper shop and starts writing an anonymous news column.

Did you know Chinese people weren‘t allowed to rent or own property in Atlanta?

I really liked this book and had all the feels. Jo is really just trying to figure out who she is.

Here is my ambitious #NovemberTBR

The tagged is my #DoubleSpin and 13 at Dinner is my #BookSpin

I have 5 BOTM books on my list that I hope to get to
And I still need to read my 3 GetTBR books which I‘m still waiting on from the library