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💌 It must've been weeks but I was tagged by @bottomofthebookshelf and @thebookishbrownie to participate in the Last Now Next Challenge a little while ago. To give it a little twist, I decided to rate the diversity (race+queer representation) in the books too! . . 🌿 Last read: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence. Genre: YA dystopian? The novel is set in an alternate New York in the future but the dystopian setting seemed very unrealistic to me. Diversity? 1.5/10. The main characters are clearly white and straight but some minor characters' physical appearances/sexual orientation were left blank so we don't know for sure. Author didn't make any efforts to emphasise their backgrounds though so that's a minus point. . . 🌿 Current read: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang. Genre: YA dystopia/scifi/fantasy. Each body is born with 2 souls but one soul becomes more dominant until the 'twin soul' is eliminated. Diversity: 4 (perhaps more)/10. I do have to say that I'm still in the middle of the book so I don't know the final cast yet. Main characters are white af (just look at the cover) but some characters seemed to be mixed-race so I'm being helpful they will play a bigger role in the book! No mentionings of queer characters whatsoever yet though. . . 🌿 Next read: Loveless by Alice Oseman. Genre: YA contemporary. The main character is finally starting uni but her lack of sexual attraction to other people makes her question her sexual identity. Diversity: ??/10. I haven't started the book yet but I'm hoping it'll be a 9 or 10 read. I mean, it's finally featuring an aro-ace main character (hopefully)! . . . I'm tagging some of you lovelies to participate in the challenge & anyone who wants to join! & Apologies if you've already been tagged, you can Block Me by Tahereh Mafi . . . #bookworm #booklover #yacontemporary #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reading #aroace #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #booksandbooks #yadystopian #dystopia #ya #bookblog #readmorebooks #diversity #weneeddiversebooks #diversereads #lgbtq #queerreads#lastnownextreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CCiwCRjqXdd/?igshid=kl9bkyhq8qmo

🌿 QOTD: Is there a genre you wished you would read more of? . . . Happy weekend, lovelies! . . 🌿 Ever since I joined bookstagram, I have found myself being so much more open to reads outside my usual comfort zone genres. A genre that I've picked up a lot lately is YA contemporary, something that I neglected for many years. YA contemporaries are way too underrated. They have a way of approaching topics that are often neglected in society or that mainstream society feels somewhat uncomfortable to talk openly about. Whether it's on sexuality, disabilities, cultural diversity (or the lack of it), racism, mental health...YA contemporaries get it. Maybe it's the combination of teenage angst and suddenly dealing with bigger issues for the first times. But they get it. . . . #bookworm #booklover #yacontemporary #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reading #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #intersex #intersexuality #ya #bookblog #readmorebooks #diversereads #lgbtq #queerreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CCf9rFVKhh8/?igshid=1x5xwc825i1fo

One of the books that I picked up during Pride Month was “None of the Above”. It features a female main character, Kristin, a senior in high school who suddenly finds her world shaken when she finds out that not everything in life is what it seems — in fact, she may not even be a girl at all. As you might have correctly guessed, this book thematises intersexuality, something that is often neglected in society. In this case, our main character was born with XY chromosomes but due to a medical condition called Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome her body never fully developed male genitalia and therefore she has always identified as female (and lived her life as a female person). This is obviously a very complex topic but I loved how the author was able to write Kristin’s story in a very empathetic and gentle way. There are so many important issues — sex, gender, identity — and especially as a young person, it is hard to accept news that hit like a bomb. This book perfectly captures teenage angst but also family and friends dynamics (maybe a little bit too much, I wished we would have learned more about the medical condition instead). However it’s the type of book that makes you re-think your own standards and question what you really know about sex and gender. We often think we live in a tolerant society but some of the cruel reactions of some of Kristin’s friends seemed very real. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I found myself flying through the pages. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to become more familiar with the medical and social conditions of intersexuality and anyone who has ever questioned sexuality in its whole. . . One last quick fact: “Intersexuality” and “transgender“ are two different different terms for two different “medical conditions”. While intersexual people are born with variations in physical sex characteristics, transgender describes a gender (identity) which is different from the sex one was assigned at birth. . . #bookworm #booklover #yacontemporary #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reading #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #intersex #intersexuality #ya https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWsgJnKk51/?igshid=1de7shy3dhvfh

One of the books that I picked up during Pride Month was “None of the Above”. It features a female main character, Kristin, a senior in high school who suddenly finds her world shaken when she finds out that not everything in life is what it seems — in fact, she may not even be a girl at all. As you might have correctly guessed, this book thematises intersexuality, something that is often neglected in society. In this case, our main character was born with XY chromosomes but due to a medical condition called Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome her body never fully developed male genitalia and therefore she has always identified as female (and lived her life as a female person). This is obviously a very complex topic but I loved how the author was able to write Kristin’s story in a very empathetic and gentle way. There are so many important issues — sex, gender, identity — and especially as a young person, it is hard to accept news that hit like a bomb. This book perfectly captures teenage angst but also family and friends dynamics (maybe a little bit too much, I wished we would have learned more about the medical condition instead). However it’s the type of book that makes you re-think your own standards and question what you really know about sex and gender. We often think we live in a tolerant society but some of the cruel reactions of some of Kristin’s friends seemed very real. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I found myself flying through the pages. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to become more familiar with the medical and social conditions of intersexuality and anyone who has ever questioned sexuality in its whole. . . One last quick fact: “Intersexuality” and “transgender“ are two different different terms for two different “medical conditions”. While intersexual people are born with variations in physical sex characteristics, transgender describes a gender (identity) which is different from the sex one was assigned at birth. . . #bookworm #booklover #yacontemporary #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reading #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #intersex #intersexuality #ya https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWiN6SKkcJ/?igshid=18n2p0pwolvid

💟 July Hopefuls 💟 . . Hello beautiful people of bookstagram! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend so far. In case you don't have any plans on Saturdays, you can sign up for the online book club run by @covertocover and yours truly! Link is in my bio. . . Anyways, here is my tbr for July. Which you can't see here is that I have at least 3 other books on my nightstand that I still need to finish (HTBAA is only a stand-in/representative for all the books that I still need to finish from June) but I was too embarrassed to feature them on my pictures over and over again 😂Also I went on a late-night Netgalley request spree a couple of weeks ago so I have a handful of ebooks that I have to/want to read this month too. . I'm ridiculously excited to start They Both Die at the End because so many people told me the book made them very emotional (I must be a sadist because I love it when books can make me cry). Also I was a huge physics nerd in school so I can't wait to dive back into the science world with 'How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog'. This will be a totally new genre for me since I think it's humourous non-fiction. . . Q: Do you have any favourite non-fiction books? . . . #bookworm #booklover #bookblog #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #reading #bookedup #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bookphotography #nonfiction #adamsilvera #ibramxkendi #science https://www.instagram.com/p/CCObNngqadD/?igshid=32o372n14nv7

QOTD: do you read traditionally published books only or do you also read indie books/self-published work? . . Happy Monday! I hope everybody had a fantastic weekend. We're finally seeing some rain in Germany again (it was over 30 degrees Celsius last week (~90F) which is very unnatural here) and it's good to be able to cool down again. . . I was challenged by @weaverofbooks and @bottomofthebookshelf to do the #countyourtitlesstack. Are you ready for my results? 😂 . . I was only able to go until the sixth book when I already hit my max. I actually found a book with 8 words in its title but unfortunately I couldn't find one with 7 words. IT'S RIDICULOUS! Anyways, I've tagged some of my bookish friends to join the fun, feel free to complete the challenge too! . . AOTD: I mostly read traditionally published books only but I used to read self-published work to, especially at the beginning of my book blogging career. These days I don't really find the time to sort through self-published books anymore but I wished I were more open to them again! . . #bookworm #booklover #bookblog #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #reading #challenge #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bookphotography #bookstack #bookchallenge #selfpublishing https://www.instagram.com/p/CCBYHq0KTJX/?igshid=1wizxjlx7wn4b

I can't believe it's already Sunday because that means I'll have to return to work tomorrow. It's crazy! How was everybody's weekend? My weekend highlight was probably meeting with my bookclub, it's always so interesting to talk about what is currently going on in the publishing induatry. . . For today's post, I was tagged by @weaverofbooks and @bottomofthebookshelf to do the #countyourtitlesstack / #bookstackchallenge. Are you ready for it? . . I was only able to go until the sixth book when I hit my max 😂 I actually found a book with 8 words in the book title but unfortunately I wasn't able to find one with 7 words 🌚 . . 1. Transient 2. Conjure Women 3. The Iron King 4. We Hunt the Flame 5. How to Be an Antiracist 6. A Court of Frost and Starlight . . I'm tagging a few of you lovelies, feel free to join! https://www.instagram.com/p/CB_bCNWIQlYvWOt0vsGJx8tGbsU1R-UL3x3Tp80/?igshid=1d4u17ls8txql

BOOK THOUGHTS: 'We Hunt the Flame' was my bookclub's pick of this month and it was such a quick and easy read. Set in a world inspired by Ancient Arabia, we meet Zafira, a secret huntress, and Nasir, the Sultan's son, both on a quest to reclaim the long-lost magic to their world. While I really enjoyed the book (or the idea of it), it definitely had a lot of flaws, low-key even lacking imagination and originality. So many scenes were over-dramatised, YA fantasy tropes recycled, romance unnecessarily added, and I can't even count the many choppy plotlines/scene changes. Nonetheless I really liked the book for its addictive (and lush) writing style and its interesting introduction to the Arabian world. . . . QOTD: what's the last book that disappointed you but you still couldn't stop reading? . . . . #bookworm #booklover #bookblog #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #reading #challenge #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bookphotography #yafantasy #ya #yabookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CB3o85jq3f-/?igshid=5tlvkmsxmcd8

Hey all you cool cats and kittens! I hope you are all doing well. I've been spectacularly absent on bookstagram these past 2 weeks but I think I'm ready to return. It just didn't feel right to post anything (except in my stories) if the world is burning right now. Especially if it isn't relevant to the conversations we need to have in society NOW. I started watching "Dear White People" on Netflix a few days ago (this show is amazing, absolutely satirical and relevant at the same time) and one of the black characters said something like, "I don't want other people to make a platform out of my pain" & "people don't even give us the time to grieve because it always turns political" -- it just perfectly captures my feelings. The frustration, the anger, the hopefulness, the pain. I feel so hopeful this time. I don't want to go back to normal, I want us all to wake up and see that we've been part of a system that has gladly favoured white supremacy & run away from its own problems such as discrimination and racism for too long. Enough is enough. Let's keep the momentum. Let's use our voices more often. . . QOTD: What are your current reads? (Mine are featured in the picture) . . #bookworm #booklover #bookblog #bookstagram #booknerd #bibliophile #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #reading #challenge #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bookphotography https://www.instagram.com/p/CBWNSc_KKT3/?igshid=nvunx61pygmq