Welcome to Litsy!

The world building in Black Wings Beating was super interesting, and I think I was able to enjoy it more because of another book I read a couple of years ago (called H is for Hawk) in which I learned a lot about falconry and caring for falcons. If I didn‘t have that foundational knowledge, all of the falconry talk in this book may have been a bit confusing. I could be wrong, but I still think it improved my appreciation of the story & the world⬇️

I just finished this forgettable fantasy. I am surprised I didn‘t enjoy it at all since it was on a recommended list by Adam Silvera and I see there are others that loved it. Does that ever happen to you?

This was a YA that felt very young. The main characters acted like teens - short sighted, temperamental, and illogically. I didn‘t totally get into the world building.

An interesting society & political system centered around falconry. I like the imagery, & the way he told the story from differing perspectives helped create the sense of impending conflict. I didn't love the characters themselves. Brysen is whiny, selfish, & oh-so-foolish. Kylee is more interesting & relatable, but her enabling of Brysen's foolishness got on my nerves. I really liked the set-up here, but I might wait and see where it goes.

I got this at the YA book festival a few months ago and finally read it last week. I have a mighty weakness for falcons and falconry, so I knew I‘d love that part. The characterization and plot were a little simple but it was a decent read and I‘m looking forward to the sequels.

Feeling kind of blah, so I'm settled on my sofa with this book, a cup of tea, and the Backstreet Boys on Spotify.

Still not sure how I'm feeling about it, but if you want to read and discuss with me, it's on Kindle deals today.

Obviously, I want more reads than this since summer break starts this month and the #EclecticReadathon is coming in a few weeks. But here's a tentative #JuneTBR.

#BookCon haul day one.

I got a few books I could read for my #pridemonth challenge and a few others that I just couldn‘t refuse. Plus hand painted chocolate. And socks.

How wonderful.

This has been my lunchtime book, but today I had to set it aside because I was yelling at the protagonist too much. 😂 Some of my students caught me, too. I'm sure they all left believing I'm even crazier than they thought! 😂😂

Reading goals this week.

This week's book haul.

Liked the concept, hated the execution. It felt sloppy. Too many characters, too little depth.

I enjoyed this YA fantasy about a culture centered around birds of prey. Great world building and the main characters are twins who end up on an epic journey to capture a legendary bird. Thanks for the recommendation @TracyReadsBooks 💖💖

I didn't PLAN to take new books out of the school library. I just happened to notice they had Alex London's new book, which he talked about in his recent interview with @EclecticReaders and then the school librarians convinced me that it was okay to check out more than one. Their fault for being so nice and knowing me so well, really. 😂 #libraryhaul

#currentlyreading If I can manage not to fall asleep. . . 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ #singleparentforaweek #survivalmode #onedayatatime

This is such a fun interview! ‪Alex and Carmen met for the first time at our interview but quickly bonded over their shared love of early Christian Slater movies. 😂 We talked about how dolphins are the frat boys of the sea, that genres sometimes hinder writers, and how a great book can be so much smarter than its author. Listen at eclecticreaders.fireside.fm/63 or subscribe to Eclectic Readers in your favorite podcast app!
#EclecticSpringBreak

One week till we release this hilarious interview during #EclecticSpringBreak!

Dnf 51% I will probably finish this book someday but right now I just can't... It's so boring and I can't find any reason to keep reading. I will think on it once I finish my exams, sorry.

Also, if you didn't catch it from @EclecticReaders, @Merethebookgal and I got to interview 8 different YA authors, so those will be coming to a podcatcher near you shortly! They were all so amazingly warm and insightful and funny! So excited to share those. #NTBF19 #EclecticReaders

NOVATeen was amazing as usual! This was from the Revolution Panel:
“Readers and writers are partners in stories” Cinda Williams Chima
“I want to ask questions I was asking myself as a teen” Dhonielle Clayton
“I don‘t think you can change the world until you imagine change” Alex London
“Each book I write is a form of catharsis” Tracy Banghart
“I love things that are horrible and beautiful all at once” Heidi Heilig #NTBF19

Starting this one... All this thing with the birds seems very interesting!

Ok, this one was interesting. The real strength of the book is the worldbuilding—the story takes place in a brutal, forbidding desert land where natural & human threats abound. It also features a great lead, Kylee, willing to do whatever necessary to protect the ones she loves. If I have one complaint, it‘s that Kylee is really the only truly compelling character. Still, it‘s a good story, love the falconry, & I‘ll definitely read the sequel.

The big stack of new library books to preview has dwindled to three. Two YA, including the tagged book, and one MG. First up, this one.

New books in the library—yesterday it was the picture books and today it was all the MG and YA. Of course, as luck would have it, they came after we were done seeing classes. So, I brought a stack home to preview. Tuesday, when we‘re back in school, I‘ll start recommending them. Looking forward to a weekend of reading and, hopefully, the end of my Black Leopard Red Wolf book hangover!

The concept for the setting was cool. Not to sound like a pretentious twat, but it had very little depth or complexity. I know it's a YA novel but still. Just okay.

Won from a #goodreads giveaway
#arc #ya

A good year in books! Though I'm finishing on a weak note, quitting one and making little progress on another. Still, if I counted right, my total is somewhere close to 60 😁

#in2018 @RealLifeReading #2018

I am ready to read book two. Kylee and Brysen despite their differences have a beautiful bond as twins. What they learn at the end of the story is truly eye opening. #blackwingsbeating #alexlondon

My listen today. I don‘t know why I was surprised birds played such a large role when it was all laid out for me right here 😂

Fierce Reads Tour in Dallas @ Interabang Books!

Mixed feelings on this one. Interesting falconry / bird based world building and great lgbtq rep at the center of a fantasy series from both main characters (as well as several others), & yet I was dragging through the whole first half of the story. Really wanted to love it--& I didn't hate it--but it just didn't quite live up to what I had hoped. Beginning of a series so maybe it'll improve from here.

Update since this picture was taken: he's now lying on my kindle. That's one way to keep me from reading 😅

This very sweet boy is a bit distracting 😅

In this first fantasy novel in a trilogy, Alex London launches a soaring saga about the memories that haunt us, the histories that hunt us, and the bonds of blood between us...

Reminds me of A Line In The Dark , and other black bird covered books.

September 25
#CoverLove #YAedition

This is a dark fascinating #YA fantasy. I loved the world-building of this dangerous place that revolves around falconry as status and commerce. I loved Kylee, with a special ability to speak the ancient language of birds. She's tough, smart, compassionate, & complex. Her brother Brysen, the other MC, though: he's selfish, reckless, impulsive, & jealous. I had a hard time connecting with him and resented how his actions negatively affected Kylee.

"Among hawks, males -- called tiercels -- are about a third of the size of females. The injustice of humanity was that most of the battle boys at the Broken Jess were bigger than Kylee. If she punched one of them in the teeth, the rest of their flock would be on her faster than a hummingbird's heartbeat."
I like her.

That anticipatory feeling when you're about to start a book you're really excited about. This one has a gay hero and ace heroine who are brother and sister! #QueerYA #QueerBooks

Just got auto-approved for my first publisher on Netgalley and two new books I'd requested to go along with it!! 😍

#Bookexpo18 #bookhaul part 3

I really did not expect to get books today.

The #bookmail gods are shining down on me this week 🤗 Happy #FriYAY

One of the highlights of #Yallwest yesterday, was, after suspecting that I‘d been told to stand in the incorrect line for 15 mins (I had been), catching Alex London at the table before he was about to sign away literally the last book to 2 young ‘uns (who were highly unlikely to read a YA killer-bird fantasy and really were there for his middle grade novels). Can not wait to read this one, plus #coverlove