Welcome to Litsy!

#currentlyreading

We swapped out the classics!! Don‘t freak out, you can keep your classics, you just might also love these swaps. Even more here: https://www.strandbooks.com/strand-blog#/entry/entry235-adult...

“Every February my classmates and I were herded into assemblies for a ritual review of the Civil Rights Movement. Our teachers urged us toward the example of freedom marchers, Freedom Riders, and Freedom Summers, and it seemed that the month could not pass without a series of films dedicated to the glories of being beaten on camera.”

Current listen

Another one for the list of “books I can‘t believe I waited this long to read.” Poignant and eloquently written, Coates blends personal experiences with historical and current events. This book is written as a letter to his son- to both reflect and anticipate what his life might be like. Coates reads the audio version himself, adding another layer to this already very personal work.

#30JuneBooks #E for everything I read in June. I haven‘t finished The Library of Lost and Found but the day is young. The audiobook of Dread Nation was so good. I was pleasantly surprised because I usually stay clear of zombies. Loved Brain on Fire and Assassin‘s Apprentice. Everyone should read Between the World and Me. Gave me a whole new better informed perspective. I am sorry it sat on my shelf unread for so long.

@howjessreads

Participated in a book discussion today with Rachel Cargle about this book. Everyone should read it, and sign up for the next book discussion, on The Bluest Eye. Check out http://instagram.com/rachel.cargle for more info.

“Race is the child of racism, not the father.” Signed up for the Loveland Hall summer reading session with Rachel Cargle. This is the first book assigned.

“You have every right to wear your hoodie, to play your music as loud as you want. You have every right to be you. And no one should deter you from being you. You have to be you. And you can never be afraid to be you."

A heart-breaking read. I almost couldn't finish it. A letter to his son about what it's like being born black, living as one, living among the people who believe they're white.

No words can do this book justice. Just (re)read it.

Her review makes me want to steal this book from the office library (Can't get it as i have 2 issued already which is the limit). Ugh!

This was a book that came across my radar, unexpectedly. But I'm so very glad I did. This book really had a way of captivating you into his life without meaning to. Its raw unfiltered emotion, and passionately written as a sort of letter from a father to a son. Beautiful and poetic!

I get to meet Ta-Nehisi Coates on Thursday! So this is how I‘m spending part of my Friday evening.

Having a good reading month so far.. 13 days, 13 books finished. I don‘t think I‘ll get to 30 books this month, but maybe 27, which I think is my record.

Short but heartbreakingly powerful. I cried more than once. 💔

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We read to better understand our surroundings, to better relate to other humans. Structured as an open letter to his son, Coates speaks eloquently of what it means to grow up in a black body in this country. His brutally honest words are full of pain & frustration, & sometimes, hope. Many have said he didn‘t bring new information to the race discussion, but I find that rude & irrelevant. His stories and thoughts deserve to be heard.

"I would not have you descend into your own dream. I would have you be a conscious citizen of this terrible and beautiful world."

#readblackauthors

Beautiful

My job, in the little time we have left together, is to match that intelligence with wisdom. Part of that wisdom is understanding what you were given. A city where gay bars are unremarkable, a soccer team in which half the players speak some other language. What I‘m saying is that doesn‘t all belong to you. That the beauty in you is not strictly yours...

Perhaps struggle is all we have because the god of history is an atheist and nothing of his world is meant to be. So you must wake up very morning knowing that no promise is unbreakable, least of all the promise of waking up at all. This is not despair. These are the preferences of the universe itself.

I‘m surrounded by cats as I enjoy my newest read ❤️ #catsoflitsy #Felicia #NelsonKitty #Marmalade

This audiobook (read by Mr. Coates) is phenomenal.

Heavy and powerful.

If you haven‘t read Between the World and Me yet, you should. It is short, powerful, evocative and important. I listened to this in one sitting (it is narrated by the author, making it that much more impactful), while ignoring all the things I was supposed to get done tonight. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I genuinely enjoyed every single one of my reads in Feb. The tagged book is my only five star read but the others, besides from the last two, are four stars. #februarywrapup

It‘s already four years since this book was released - how has it taken me this long to read it? I‘ve no doubt this book is timeless. Coates is often criticised for not offering any hope (he shouldn‘t have to), but there is so much power and pride here as he reflects on how he grew to understand what it is and how to be black in America: “They made us into a race. We made ourselves into a people.”

So beautifully & powerfully written. It‘s opened my eyes to a world that is far from my own. I finished Invisible Man this month too, and I feel like I‘ve learned a lot about race in America from these two books. It‘s vivid and emotive. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a mind blower. Coates took me deep and then some. I loved his use of the word, body, and the word, Dream, and everything that came from those two words throughout the book. I loved that he loves his son so much. Such a skilled writer. Pick!!

Coates is such a brilliant, evocative writer, and that helps this come alive. But the emotion behind it is so raw, so powerful, so familiar that I think even without Coates‘ gifts, it would still be a potent read. Absolutely vital.

I‘m not sure I can say anything to do this book justice. #LitsyAtoZ (5/26)

This was profound. #BooksForAllies #audiobook #5of65

profound and compelling, read by the author 🙌🏽🙌🏾🙌🏿

This is such a powerful read, & listening to Ta-Nehisi Coates read it himself made it even more so. It hurts me to think that anyone has to worry about their or their child‘s life because they wear a hoodie, listen to loud music, or any one of a million things that never concern me when my own do them. But I love that he tells his son not to bow to those fears; to be fully himself no matter what. This read is gonna have me thinking for a while.

Book lights are a revelation 📚💡😻

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ALL THE STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don‘t feel right trying to compose a review but in summary I‘ll say: Coates keenly dissected how society continues to denigrate black bodies (not so subtly reminding us how prevalent racism is despite protests otherwise) as he addresses his experiences to his son.

Interesting perspective on Race in America. Such a huge problem and I like to read a variety of views. But not those of racists! They need to shut up. The audiobook is read by the author which made this more compelling.

A very tragic read, a very necessary book.

I have so many on my bought and tbr pile, I wish I could devour this read just about now! But it has to wait... p.s. This is a good alternative to those who dislike fiction but is in search of similar reads, for example: The Hate U Give. Thank you to a fellow bookworms on Silent Book Club for the recommendation.

In an open letter to his teenaged son, Coates reflects on his experiences as a black man in America and the ways in which America is built upon the labor and suffering of black bodies.

A short but powerful read.

Maya Angelou called this book required reading, enough said!!! Pls feel free to borrow my copy!!!

My favorite book of #readathon. Highly recommended . Final totals: 9 hr 35 min (6 hr 45 min reading, 2 hr 50 min audio), 515 pages. I‘m pretty happy with that, considering I was gone most of the afternoon. Hope everyone had a great Readathon! ❤️👍👏📚📚

I‘ve been on a nonfiction kick lately, so I‘ll start off Dewey‘s #readathon with this little gem.

MY BODY IS READY. This is AMAZING news from the Frankfurt Book Fair this week! What a great week for book announcements. (📸: @jessicaesquire ) 📚❤️📚

I love getting the perspectives of people who are in some way different from me. This book was so well written and emotional at times. I listened to it on audio via #scribd, but I will probably go back and read the print version sometime soon. Listening to it was a good first read, so that I could really get the emotion, but I think I missed some of the specific good points and quotes a bit that way. Recommend

Required reading. #doit

I just started this audiobook this afternoon. I am liking it so far. I needed another break from Lolita.

Wow. This book taught me much and helped me to see a little clearer. It helped me understand things I had no clue about.

B&N with a blowout sale and I have a 15% coupon = me with a win!