Only 60 pages in but I‘m absolutely in love with this book!
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“His fingers start twitching immediately wanting to take [the book] with him so he can read it again... Having a physical response to a lack of book is not unusual.” Zachary, I can relate! #teachersoflitsy #speculativefiction #fantasy

I have no time to read this book right now, but I had to snag an autographed copy at the local indie bookstore where I first discovered The Night Circus 🖤

Nonfiction isn‘t typically my thing, but I enjoyed this. It was recommended to me by my colleagues who recently added it to their World Literature course. I can definitely understand why they chose it and why it has been resonating with students. Noah‘s voice is sincere and engaging. #nonfiction #teachersoflitsy #representationmatters #weneeddiversebooks

I‘m SO EXCITED to use an excerpt from this book with my #AmericanLit classes this week. Anna‘s chapter “Off the Deep End” fits perfectly with our discussion about what it means to be American, and the timing with the anniversary of 9/11 couldn‘t be better. I just wish my colleagues would venture into this century & join me in diversifying our curriculum 🙄 #weneeddiversebooks #ya #teachersoflitsy #representationmatters

This GORGEOUS cover caught my eye online months ago. Bought it Saturday, started it Sunday, finished it Monday. Once I reached the halfway point, I couldn‘t stop! I generally enjoy historical fiction, and this offered a perspective that I hadn‘t read before. Good twists, semi-predictable but absolutely engaging
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“The lengths the haves will go to in order to deprive the have-nots boggles the mind.”
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#ya #historicalfiction #weneeddiversebooks

I have to give Rory Power credit for her truly gruesome descriptions (chapter 14 in particular) but her storytelling here is very uneven. #Horror isn‘t my thing, but regardless of the genre, the plot and the resolution should still make sense! The explanations I came up with in my head were much more satisfying than what was on the page, and the quasi-romantic relationship felt like an afterthought pandering to a particular audience. #ya #bookclub

Never thought I‘d be able to say this, but I‘m re-reading The Hate U Give FOR WORK 🙌 This year it‘s a faculty #summerreading option (thanks to me suggesting it) — hopefully it‘ll be for students someday 🤞🙏
#babysteps #weneeddiversebooks #teachersoflitsy #ya

There‘s no better photo spot for a book about mystical libraries than in front of the haunted library from Ghostbusters, right?
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I love the idea of this book but not the execution. There was too much going on (living books, sorcerers, demons, etc) & FAR too many similes (I made a game for myself to count them on each page). I loved Nathaniel, Silas, and Katrien but unfortunately not the main character. #ya #bookclub #fantasy #teachersoflitsy

It's fitting that I finished this book sitting next to an #LGBT community center. LOVE the premise. The political aspect was surprisingly moving; the last chapter made me teary. However, the voices could've been stronger; most of the characters sounded the same (Brits, Americans, POTUS, twenty-somethings, etc) & multiple "he"s were sometimes confusing. Great read for #PrideMonth ?️‍? #ya #weneeddiversebooks #teachersoflitsy #summerreading

I had no intention of finishing this book today but I COULDN'T STOP. What a page-turner! Laini Taylor has a way of making high fantasy so human & relatable. This world feels REAL. I'm sad for Lazlo & Sarai's story to end but I'm 100% satisfied (and somewhat glad there isn't a 3rd 500+ page installment).
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Side note: the hardest part of photographing this book was not getting my reflection in the cover.
#ya #teachersoflitsy #summerreading

I didn't set out with a #PrideMonth theme in mind, yet that's where books have taken me. It's been yrs since I read Simon vs... but I've watched the movie Love, Simon about 5 times in the past 2 weeks, so I couldn't help picturing/hearing the movie cast in my head while reading this book. I love this world & Albertalli's style though I don't know how "true to character" the relationship developments are. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #ya #teachersoflitsy #summerreading

It's fitting that I finished this at the beach today. Thankfully I didn't encounter any pirates or sea dragons in the process 🐉 This book is exactly what I expected and wanted it to be: a fun, female-centric adventure. It's refreshing to read #YA that isn't even peripherally about romantic relationships. I knew Felicity would be an interesting protagonist, but Monty still makes me laugh out loud.
#historicalfiction #teachersoflitsy #summerreading

#ya #historicalfiction #teachersoflitsy #summerreading

Three years ago this week I visited Edinburgh for the first time and then made my way south to London. This book is helping me relive that trip. Have I mentioned I ❤️ MAPS!? #ya #sequel #historicalfiction #teachersoflitsy #summerreading

Not exactly what #PrideMonth means but I'm always down for a Pride & Prejudice retelling. Of course knowing the original made the plot predictable, but the modernization worked & I appreciate the commentary on gentrification. I didn't buy Zuri's emotional whiplash in the second half; it was too back-and-forth. Rearranging a few plot points could've helped that. Overall it was just okay but the cover is A+ #ya #weneeddiversebooks #teachersoflitsy

This might be the raciest #ya book I've ever read. Not complaining! I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it reads like fanfic, and it certainly helped satisfy my #Malec withdrawal. This is basically what I wanted the #Shadowhunters tv series to be: Alec & Magnus going on adventures, getting into trouble, saving each other, and most importantly being in love. Great read for #PrideMonth too. #weneeddiversebooks #teachersoflitsy #summervacation

"Many never returned from the war. Others returned but were never the same. Still others returned to bigotry and hatred that history has yet to leave firmly in the past. They paid a price... We owe a debt."
Very fitting coincidence that I finished this book about #WWI today. #MemorialDay #ya #bookclub #teachersoflitsy

I started this book today and I'M IN LOVE! WWI romance + Greek mythology sounds like an odd combination, but (so far) it's clever and utterly charming. It pains me to have to put it down to grade papers. Also, how gorgeous is this cover? 💗💗💗💗 #ya #bookclub #teachersoflitsy #WWI #historicalfiction #romance #mythology

So far this book reads like #Malec fanfic and I'm not mad about it 😏 #Shadowhunters #ya #springbreak #teachersoflitsy

This was recommended as a [Vietnamese female written and narrated] companion to [the misogynistic white American male perspective in] The Things They Carried. I'm not sure if it'll work for that purpose, especially given the choppy nature of the storytelling, but I might be able to extract a few excerpts. #weneeddiversebooks #AmericanLit #Vietnam #teachersoflitsy

I wanted to love this book -- the premise is promising & I like Spooner's co-writes -- but by chapter 3 I was skimming just for dialogue. It's overly wordy and easily could be half the length. Then there's the last 100 pages that take an unexpected turn, which I somewhat respect for the surprise factor alone but not at all for the content. It just felt icky. Definitely disappointed with this one. #ya #bookclub

#historicalfiction + #magic + #Paris = SOLD 💸 I don't know when I'll have time to read this, but I couldn't resist. How stunning is this cover?! Plus there's a #MAP inside! ❤️🇫🇷

This book 100% reads like Veronica Mars. It's not brilliant but it's fun. #ya #mystery #bookclub

Yesterday was the 18th anniversary of my mom's passing. This quote has stayed with me since I read The Astonishing Color of After.

I had to take a break from reading this book to actually teach #Frankenstein. Go figure. The last 60ish pages took an unexpected-though-welcome turn. I particularly love the Author's Note at the end and this part in her Acknowledgements: "To Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, thanks for being insufferable and thinking there was no way Mary could write something better than you two could. Joke's on you." ? #teachersoflitsy #ya #scifi #reimaginedclassic

Because it was stormy yesterday, I took the train instead of driving, which gave me lots of time to read. Win win. #ya #bookclub #teachersoflitsy

This is how I spent my Sunday 😏❤️🏈
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It took a little while for me to get into this book, but once I realized it was a collection of stories (rather than a continuous narrative) I found it much easier and more interesting to read. Definite parallels to Frankenstein & Brave New World, both of which I'm teaching this semester, so I was continually thinking about how to incorporate excerpts into my curriculum #ya #scifi #bookclub #teachersoflitsy

Can I finish this in 10 days? We'll see.
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Yes, that is a Cinderella blanket courtesy of my crafty aunt.
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#ya #bookclub

I'm about 12 chapters/6 discs into this audiobook & NOTHING has happened. Does it get better? I'm not going to bail because I'm committed to this series but... 😴 #Outlander #audiobook #historicalfiction

I love this description of a library 📚 #ya #winterbreak #teachersoflitsy

Just when I thought I couldn't love this book more, the epilogue hits me with this analogy that is SO ME it's like I wrote it myself:

"I hate how helpless I feel. And not the romantic kind of helpless. Not the Eliza Schuyler kind. It's more like the feeling you get watching the end of Titanic. You want to reach into your screen and tip the boat back upright."

#ya #romcom #winterbreak #teachersoflitsy #weneeddiversebooks

Hot chocolate & a #YA romance on a rainy day -- does it get any better than that? #bookclub #weneeddiversebooks

WOW. PREACH Tahereh Mafi 🙌 #ya #bookclub #weneeddiversebooks

Yet another book that I don't have time to read but I COULD. NOT. RESIST. #ya

I can't wait to dive into these! #ya #weneeddiversebooks

I almost choked & spit out my sip of water when I read this line ⚔️ I love all of the random, clever pop culture references in this series.
#ya #historicalfantasy #JaneEyre #PrincessBride #teachersoflitsy

The world will tell you not to be outraged, love. They will tell you to sit quietly, be kind. Be a lady.
And when they do? Be Judith instead.
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I could list a dozen more quotes like this that spoke to me. It's remarkable how a book that takes place over 400 years ago is so applicable to 2018. I just wish I'd read it before I visited Rome last month. I would've looked at the art very differently. #ya #bookclub #teachersoflitsy #weneeddiversebooks

Words can't express how satisfying this book is. I had to put it down several times to catch my breath, get over my shock, and make it last longer. The whole #Illuminae Files trilogy reads like a movie & is creative beyond my wildest dreams. My only disappointment is that it's over. Thanks, Amie&Jay, for nearly 2000 pages of thrilling space adventures. May you always have a parachute & never run out of oxygen. #ya #sciencefiction #teachersoflitsy

While "sci-fi thriller" and "Mediterranean cruise" don't exactly sound like they go together, for me it was the perfect combination. I read this 600+ page book in about a week & immediately picked up Obsidio, the final book in the Illuminae Files trilogy. I love the style and pacing of this series so much. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#ya #scifi #summerreading #illuminae #teachersoflitsy

Unpopular opinion: I liked Riley 🙃 #Buffy #ya #summerreading #teachersoflitsy

I should be grading finals, but this book has been calling to me since I first heard about it. Today I found out that it's published by Freeform (home of my queer OTP) and written by a screenwriter for the CW (the network I most watch). It's like it was created just for me! #ya #teachersoflitsy #summerreading #weneeddiversebooks #shipit

Also, how awesome is this cover?! #underthedustjacket

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. It comes out on my birthday! But I'll be out of town 😢 Need to get my hands on an ARC asap #ya #historicalfantasy #teachersoflitsy #JaneEyre

Reneé was right; this book made me cry. #YA #bookclub #teachersoflitsy

I read and LOVED this adorable, poignant rom-com book 3 years ago, and now it's an adorable, poignant rom-com major motion picture Love, Simon ❤️ If you need some levity in your life (who doesn't?) I highly recommend reading and/or watching this story. #LoveSimon #weneeddiversebooks #weneeddiverseromance #ya #bookclub #teachersoflitsy

"A man should have squint lines from looking at the horizon, not just from reading in the dim light." ?This book is the exact escapism I needed this weekend. #ya #bookclub #fantasy #teachersoflitsy

I finished this in about 24 hrs amidst grading & errands & real life, which is quite a feat. I'll save my full review for #bookclub, but I'll just say that this was basically the opposite of our previous book. #ya #teachersoflitsy 🐢

I struggled with this one. I was annoyed with it by page 3 and wouldn't have continued if it weren't for book club. Really slow-paced. Didn't care about any of the characters. Too much "style" (which was overdone IMO), not enough substance. I don't think Maggie Stiefvater is for me. I didn't like The Scorpio Races either ? #ya #magicalrealism #bookclub #teachersoflitsy

I can't believe this book was published nearly 40 years ago but I didn't know it existed until a few months ago. Finally had a chance to pick it up over Xmas break & finished it in 2 days. In short, it's like #Outlander meets #HuckFinn. Strong addition to the #AmericanLit canon that my (primarily white male) colleagues need to read. #teachersoflitsy #historicalfantasy #femaleauthor #AfricanAmericanauthor #diversity #weneeddiversebooks #resist

I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Ausiello today. It was kind of an out-of-body experience, seeing this icon whom I've admired for so long up close and personal. I feel like I *know* him (& Kit & Mister Scooch & Aunt Joan) from reading this memoir and following him on social media. There's so much I wanted to say but we could only chat for a moment, in which we bonded over bygone soaps, obviously. #autobiography #nonfiction #booksigning

I also finished this one today. (Two books in one day?! Total coincidence -- one while driving, the other while eating) Meh. Could've been better. Interesting premise but the pacing was off and IT. NEEDS. A. MAP. #ya #bookclub #teachersoflitsy #fantasy (pic from Google)