tender curiosity

🏳️‍🌈 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY 🏳️‍🌈

The Open Era by Edward Schmit

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: What was your last 5 star read?

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Thank you so much to Penguin Australia for sending me a copy of this one. All thoughts are my own.

Tennis romance is absolutely having a moment this year and this book was no exception. It was brilliant!

I loved the complexities of Austin as a character. He was flawed and imperfect and all those moments when I wanted to shake some sense into him just made me love him all the more. The mental health representation in particular and Austin’s stubbornness about certain things that might help him felt incredibly real and relatable no matter how frustrating he could be. All the characters in this book are complex and layered and it was really brilliantly done.

The journey of a lifetime — and then some. Thank you, Sensates. 

🏳️‍🌈 BOOK REVIEW 🏳️‍🌈

One Knight Stand by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

QOTD: What’s the last sequel you read?

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Thank you to Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy. All thoughts are my own.

This tale was just as fun and adventurous as the last, and I loved being back with these characters, seeing them on another journey full of twists, turns, and absurd humour.

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Blue Summer Haze by Dondon

⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: What are you reading this weekend?

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Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was a fun start to a romance series with some great, easy-to-love characters, but overall I found it moved a little bit too fast for me. I know it’s a sports romance and it’s only volume one, but I felt like the baseball stuff often overshadowed the romance stuff and I would have enjoyed it more if it had felt a little more balanced. Maybe this is one I’ll enjoy more when it’s finished and I can binge it.

✨ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ✨

This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes

QOTD: Who’s a celebrity you’d like to know more about?

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This was just as hilarious and unflinchingly honest as I expected it to be. Miriam Margolyes is an expert storyteller and this book was a joy to listen to.

I loved learning about her early life and her time at Cambridge, hearing stories about all the unique, talented, wonderful people she’s bumped shoulders with throughout her life.

🏳️‍🌈 LESBIAN LOVE 🏳️‍🌈

QOTD: What’s your fave book with a lesbian main character? (and by that I mean POV character)

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🏳️‍🌈 BOOK REVIEW 🏳️‍🌈

A Viper Among Kings by Sydney Olivia

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

QOTD: What is/was/will be your first read of June?

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Thank you to Daphne Press and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a fascinating book full of interesting, layered characters and a great plot that kept me hooked.

I loved the concept of Magic as a being. I definitely need to know more about Magic and Voids in the future of this series. This book tells you enough to intrigue you but nowhere near enough to have any answers and it’s very cleverly done.

Esme and her wraith siblings were all really interesting characters and I loved getting to know them, especially Esme and Urias. And I thought Bal, Janos, Mina and Simon were intriguing as well. The relationships between them all were great and I loved the way Esme loved each of them differently. But to be honest, I didn’t end up connecting with them on an emotional level which left some scenes that should have had me tearing up at the very least feeling a little hollow.

🏳️‍🌈 FAVE GENRE STACK 🏳️‍🌈

QOTD: What is your fave genre?

Fantasy is mine, so here’s a stack of some of my fave ever queer fantasy books for you to add to your tbr!

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🏳️‍🌈 FAVE TROPES 🏳️‍🌈

QOTD: What is your fave trope?

Here’s some recs for my fave tropes!

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And then all the other Sesame Street character accounts joined in:

And now I’m thinking maybe we’re gonna be okay… 💗

"So, boss... I may have messed up."

"What did you do, Ray?"

"Well, I made a post for Elmo saying 'Hi, how's everybody doing?'"

"I mean, that's kind of what we pay you for."

"Yeah, but.... <sigh> it turns out pretty much everyone is hanging on by a thread, badly enough that they needed to tell Elmo."

"Oh."

"God help me, boss, I think Elmo needs to be there for them."

🏳️‍🌈 QUEER BOOKSTAGRAMMER TOUR 🏳️‍🌈

QOTD: What’s one of your all time favourite books?

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Hello! My name’s Cherie and I’m an aroace nonbinary bookstagrammer from Wiradjuri country, Australia.

For my stop on the bookstagrammer tour, I’ve decided to share a photoshoot of me and some of my all time fave LGBTQIA+ books that are perfect to pick up this June (and all year tbh). I couldn’t choose between these godawful pics so you get them all.

If you’re new here, this is absolutely not an exhaustive list. My friends and followers know I never shut up about queer books!

Huge thanks to Andy and DJ for setting this up over on instagram!

Books featured:

- After the Siren by Darcy Green

- Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

- Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

- Ribbonwood by Ruby Landers

- Pantomime by LR Lam

- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

✨ MAY WRAPUP ✨

QOTD: What was your fave read from May?

Mine was Among the Wildflowers by Anita Kelly!

I kinda hate when I do my wrapup before the first cos I have no idea what my final page count will be seeing as I will start a new book later today but…it is what it is 😂

Books finished: 25

DNF’s: 9 😬

Pages read: 6,012

Hours listened: 108.7

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✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

The Boyfriend Clause by Bridie Blake

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Do you have a dream job?

I never have 😅

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I had such a great time reading this one. Fake dating and grumpy/sunshine are two of my fave tropes so this was sure to be a hit.

I adored both Sabrina and Adam. Their banter was top tier and I loved the gradual way Adam started opening up to her, letting her see more of him, letting some of his walls down. They were wonderful together.