Lit. on Fire Books
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litonfirepia.bsky.social
Lit. on Fire Books
@litonfirepia.bsky.social
1.7K followers 650 following 600 posts
Woman, Disabled, & LGBTQ+ Owned and Operated independent bookstore in the heart of Central Illinois. 🏳️‍🌈✊🍉✊🏳️‍⚧️✊👨‍🦽‍➡️✊

712 W. Main St.
Peoria, IL 61606
https://linktr.ee/Litonfirepia

Reducing Environmental Impact | Reconnecting the Community | Reviving Bohemia
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litonfirepia.bsky.social
Lit. on Fire Books in Peoria, IL welcomes you to dilly dally with us between First Friday stops with some pizzas, sodas, and community hangs. Be kind and brave with us. Meet your neighbors. Go see some art together at Studios on Sheridan.

www.litonfirepia.com/event-detail...

#Booksky #PeoriaIL
A stretch of Lit.'s tall white bookcases are illuminated in the background with black lights, with accents of yellow along the top shelf and pink across the bottom shelf. Event details are overlaid in neon and pink script which reads "First Friday Bookstore Hangs Shop noon-9 pm Hangs 5-9 pm"
May 1, 2025 at 6:53 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
To celebrate our partnership with MIBA and inclusion in their roadmap, I will be giving away a FREE sticker (design below) with any purchase of $20 or more, Saturday only! 🎉 I also have full color roadmaps for everyone who visits! ✨
An illustrated bookstore scene acts as a banner with sage-colored walls, brown bookcases, a red cozy chair in front of a window, and an orange cat reading a book. The floor is pale yellow, creating a background for our flyer event details, including the Baked Bee logo, Lit. on Fire Books’ brand new logo/ line drawing of the shop, and the book cover for Kestrel by Adrienne Lothy!
April 24, 2025 at 9:45 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Ok, here’s 3/2 because I didn’t realize I can only post four images at a time. 😂
Jess holds up a stack of various book titles in front of a recently remodeled corner of the shop featuring our whimsical, colorful storybook of a mural by our beloved friend Kagan Masters. Jess holds up a stack of various book titles in front of a recently remodeled corner of the shop featuring our whimsical, colorful storybook of a mural by our beloved friend Kagan Masters.
April 10, 2025 at 5:59 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
And for the part that people really love— I present to you BOOKS. ✨ 2/2
Jess holds up a stack of various book titles in front of a recently remodeled corner of the shop featuring our whimsical, colorful storybook of a mural by our beloved friend Kagan Masters. Jess holds up a stack of various book titles in front of a recently remodeled corner of the shop featuring our whimsical, colorful storybook of a mural by our beloved friend Kagan Masters. Jess holds up a stack of various book titles in front of a recently remodeled corner of the shop featuring our whimsical, colorful storybook of a mural by our beloved friend Kagan Masters. Jess holds up a stack of various book titles in front of a recently remodeled corner of the shop featuring our whimsical, colorful storybook of a mural by our beloved friend Kagan Masters.
April 10, 2025 at 5:58 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Happy #NationalPoetryMonth from Lit. on Fire Books! 🔥 Poetry is an incredibly important art form, granting wings to ideas that can’t take flight in the confines of black and white thinking. 1/2

#Booksky #Poetrysky #Poetry #PeoriaReads #LitOnFireBooks #IndieBookstore #PeoriaIllinois
Jess holds up a copy of My Mother was a Freedom Fighter by Aja Monet in front of various display fixtures and a colorful mural featuring whimsical underground tunnels with animals and mythical creatures tending their homes and shops. Jess holds up a copy of Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz in front of an octagonal display table holding a variety of pride gloats in front of a framed cross stitch that reads “queer and forever here” in rainbow thread. Jess holds up a copy of Full-Metal Indigiqueer by Joshua Whitehead in the door frame of our expansion space, overlooking a variety of displays, including our National Poetry Month display.
April 8, 2025 at 7:42 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
The Trans Rights Readathon is ongoing today through Trans Day of Visibility on March 31st, and we LOVE supporting trans and gender expansive authors and seeing books that feature GE main characters here at Lit. on Fire Books! 🏳️‍⚧️1/2

#BookRecs #TRR25 #Readathon #peoriaillinois #TransRights #Booksky
A stack of ten books (titles and authors listed below) sits atop an orange vintage couch overlooking tall white bookcases filled with colorful book displays. 📚 The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas Ander & Santi Were Here Jonny Garza Villa Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo Just Happy to be Here by Naomi Kanakia Bellies by Nicola Dinan
March 21, 2025 at 10:52 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Looking for poetry that speaks to the heart? 📖✨ At Lit on Fire Books, we’re loving the work of Torrin Greathouse— a poet whose words are raw, powerful, and truly resonate with our vibrant, book-loving community. 1/2
Jess’ white hand with an infinity tattoo that reads “come what may” along their thumb holds up a copy each of Wound from the Mouth of a Wound and Deed, both by Torrin A. Greathouse, in front of an aisle of towering white bookcases full of books and wood flooring.
March 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Today, we're shining a spotlight on some hidden gems written by incredible women authors! 💫 Because, well… WOMEN! 💥 These voices deserve to be celebrated, and we're beyond excited to share their stories. 1/2
A used hardcover copy of Men We Reaped: A Memoir by Jesmyn Ward faces out on a white bookshelf filled with other biographies & memoirs. A used paperback copy of On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of my Chinese American Family by Lisa See faces out on a white bookshelf filled with other biographies & memoirs. A used hardcover copy of Let Me Stand Alone: The Journals of Rachel Corrie faces out on a white bookshelf filled with other biographies & memoirs.
March 13, 2025 at 7:12 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Looking for a powerful and immersive read? NK Jemisin’s brilliant storytelling is now in stock at Lit., our locally queer owned bookstore!

Whether you're diving into The Broken Earth trilogy or her other captivating works… 1/2
The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin sits atop a dark teal table with a light blue mandal design on it in front of our checkout space, with a view of our Mothman Pride Flag from Flags for Good.
March 11, 2025 at 5:58 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
I have started a full inventory of Lit. on Fire Books. Some things just *must* be done for the good of all.
A clipboard holds a book inventory list with towering white bookcases full of nonfiction titles framed in the background.
February 13, 2025 at 6:47 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Snowy days bring a sense of wonder, and "A Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats captures that magic beautifully. As one of the first children's books to feature an African American protagonist in a mainstream setting, it broke barriers and offered representation to many. 1/3
The cover of The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats pictures a Black child bundled tightly in an orange snow suit, peering down at their footprints in the snow in front of a row of colorful buildings with a stoplight on the right.
February 12, 2025 at 5:19 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Two important tools for a safer and (hopefully) more cooperative future have arrived in store today. A new security system donated by community to help make this a safer space for us, and the Co-Op U Manual workbook from Co-Op Cincy, which boasts a 14 week training course. 💕
A shipping box sits atop a blue table with a mandala design on it in front of several book displays. The Co-Op U Manual from Co-Op Cincy sits atop the checkout counter in front of a donation jar that has a line drawing of a festive elf holding a sign that reads “Happy Independent Bookstore Day” by a beloved artist and friend, Kagan Masters.
February 11, 2025 at 9:33 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
This resonates deeply today as we confront rising fascism & the ongoing struggle for freedom. Adeyemi’s work reminds us that resistance is vital to our survival & our voices—like her characters’—2/3
A white hand holds a hardcover copy of Children of Anguish & Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi. In the background in a whimsical mural filled with playful animal characters and two beloved cats playing on the moon with a cozy orange couch.
February 11, 2025 at 7:03 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
It’s #TomiTuesday! Tomi Adeyemi’s writing explores themes of oppression, resilience, and the fight for justice. Her characters challenge brutal systems of power, fighting to reclaim their magic and humanity in a world that seeks to silence them. 1/3
A white hand holds a copy each of Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi. In the background in a whimsical mural filled with playful animal characters and two beloved cats playing on the moon with a cozy orange couch. To the right, there is a yellow rolling cart full of books.
February 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Rage, when channeled, can ignite powerful movements. It's the spark of 🔥 to the revolution, the push for progress, and the unwavering strength to demand what is rightfully ours—dignity, respect, and equality. 3/3
Jess’ white hand holds up a copy of a personal favorite, Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin in front of tall white bookcases filled with similar titles.
February 7, 2025 at 8:26 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
"To be a Black person in America is to be angry all the time," Baldwin wrote. That rage isn't just about pain, it’s the will to fight in the face of oppression. 2/3

#BlackHistoryMonth #DiversifyYourBacklist #BlackSky #BlackBooks #IndieBookstore #ShopLocal #peoriail
Jess’ white hand holds up a copy of Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone by James Baldwin in front of tall white bookcases filled with solidarity titles.
February 7, 2025 at 8:24 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
James Baldwin, a voice for the voiceless, spoke deeply about the "rage" felt by Black Americans in the face of systemic oppression. His writings remind us that the anger born from generations of injustice is not simply a reaction, but a call for change. 1/3
Jess’ white hand holds up Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin in front of a short wooden bookcase.
February 7, 2025 at 8:22 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Octavia Butler's writing reminds us that our histories are intertwined w/ the struggles of the present & that the fight for justice, equity, & survival is ongoing. Her characters are not just passive victims of circumstance—they're resilient, resourceful, & unafraid to challenge systems of power 1/2
Jess' white hand holds up the colorful Xenogenesis trilogy by Octavia E. Butler in front of checkout, which features pride flags and a Black Lives Matter flag on the wall and various tiered shelving featuring books, flags, and gifts.
February 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
The hits keep coming, but I persist. 😂 Not me having to be back in shop by 8:30 am with the threat of icy roads looming thanks to an exhaust pipe falling on my drop ceiling & breaking the support track. SO thankful it’s a landlord, not a me thing. Tune in for the next episode of yr fave tragicomedy!
A broken strip of drop ceiling hangs precariously above a yellow metal bookcase with Star Trek toys atop it.
February 6, 2025 at 1:20 AM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Here’s another awesome title you can find in our 50% off clearance sale this week Tue-Sat noon-6 pm. Also a gentle reminder that we will be open extended hours this Friday Feb. 7th until 9 pm for the return of our monthly Bookstore Hangs event from 5-9 pm, a casual meet and greet with community!
A white hand in a colorful plaid patterned shirt holds up a copy of Louise Erdich’s novel “Future Home of the Living God” from our 50% off sale. The book is held aloft over a yellow rolling cart and two aisles of towering white bookcases full of colorful books.
February 4, 2025 at 4:52 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
To mark the beginning of our observation & celebration of Black History Month, here is a title from our 50% off sale, & you KNOW that if something this rad landed in clearance, the rest of the shelves are equally diverse and inspiring. #ShopLocal #BlackHistoryMonth #IndieBookstore #BlackLivesMatter
A white hand with an infinity symbol “Come What May” tattoo holds up How we Fight White Supremacy by Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin above a yellow rolling cart filled with sale items which is centered between two rows of towering white bookcases full of books.
February 1, 2025 at 6:29 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
ok @hibimbo.bsky.social I got some titles pulled that may be a jumping off point, if nothing else. <3

The Future is Disabled
Care Work
Let This Radicalize You
All Our Families
Healing Justice Lineages
Nourishing Resistance
Surviving the Future
Seven books as listed in original text sit atop a vintage orange couch facing toward towering white bookcases and a children's section with books on display.
January 29, 2025 at 7:37 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
I STRUGGLE with keeping dates straight since leukemia treatment fried my brain. I am SO SORRY. First Friday is February 7th and you can almost always assume I’m looking at the wrong calendar month when I check my schedule.

www.litonfirepia.com/event-detail...
January 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
Now that I have y’all’s attention, it is time to be in community again. If you’re spinning your wheels and need to get grounded, come by Friday, February 2nd from 5-9 pm to meet your neighbors, to make connections. Bring something to share if you’d like, and consider masking up. #Peoria #CentralIL
A blue brick wall background set alit by pink neon lights frames the neon pink text: “Bookstore Hangs 5-9 pm First Friday”
January 26, 2025 at 7:08 PM
litonfirepia.bsky.social
I’ve worked so hard to fix this house up and make it pretty and maximize space when I can over the years. Say hello to my Xmas gift from my bio Grandpa! 😭 I now have counter space AND a range to offset the mess of a gas range. I’ve been waiting for this for 14 years.
January 25, 2025 at 4:54 AM