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The Picky Queer Reader

@picky.queer.reader

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Andy. 🌈 Queer. 📚 Bookish girlie. 💖 Obsessed with sapphic romance and pretty things. ❌️ No ratings, only constructive reviews.

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It's Playlist Day in this beautiful book tour for the release of Suncatcher by the incredible @kayla.faber.writes!

This book will take you on a heart-stealing emotional journey that will make it impossible for you to stop thinking about this story and these girls!

So go and get your copy of Suncatcher now and feel free to come back to thank me when you've read it! 💕

☀️ SUNCATCHER by Kayla Faber ☀️

🪻dual POV
🪻grumpy/sunshine
🪻autistic FMC/ADHD FMC
🪻masc bisexual/demi femme lesbian
🪻wealth gap
🪻hurt/comfort
🪻mutal pining
🪻healing together
🪻feel-good cosy vibes
🪻emotional intimacy
🪻set in London

📖 BLURB

It was unlikely that Eris and Denny would ever meet: different backgrounds, different families, different lives. Two girls with absolutely nothing in common, born at opposite sides of society, have very low a chances to meet in a big city like London.
One late night, though, when Denny is driving back home, she steps in to rescue Eris from an aggression, and that's when their lives unexpectedly intertwine.

Eris looks like a feral cat: injured, angry, a bit intimidating, but Denny's big heart isn't easily scared off: Eris doesn't speak and all Denny can do is pick her up from the pavement and take her home. It's a short step from strangers to flatmates, but living together is no easy feat for two people so drastically different. Except slowly, quietly, as they learn to communicate and be open with each other, they realise that deep down they might not be as incompatbile as they belived.

☀️ Also a big shout-out to all the amazing bloggers who joined me and Kayla on this tour:

22 @cloud_9_reads TROPES
23 @kayreads_romance PUBLICATION DAY
24 @brigid _reads_romance CHARACTERS
25 @lez.be.readin.ya.89 BLURB
26 @picky.queer.reader PLAYLIST
27 @jadedsunreads ARC REVIEWS
28 @batty.about.books GIVEAWAY by @picky.queer.reader

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26

2 days ago

Disclaimer: I would've never read this book, if I hadn't been dared to.

Context: a couple of weeks ago, @kayla.faber.writes told me her sister had forced her to listen to the (Italian) audiobook of ACOTAR during a long road trip and that it'd been sheer torture.

She the said: "You could never survive this book! 😂" (Emoji included.)

Well, my ADHD was irremediably triggered and there I was, in my little local library, requesting the most embarrassing book of my life.

Let me tell you: Kayla wasn't exaggerating when she said it's torture. I'm sorry, but SJM's writing is so slow and dense with unnecessary details and redundant reflections, that reading this book feels like pushing a gigantic boulder up a steep mountain with sharoe pebbles under your bare feet.

Feyre (my phone keeps correcting it to Fryer) in insufferable. I had the same beef with her as I had with Katniss from the Hunger Games: she's so good at what she does, without absolutely any training, and her inner monologue always reads so arrogant and conceited. The only difference is that in the Hunger Games the writing was actually good and virtually every other character was enjoyable, of not lovable (also excellent villains!).

In ACOTAR all I saw was immature writing and inexistent editing. I came across so many anachronisms, so many contractions and inaccuracies, that it was really, really hard not to DNF.

Also, how many times do I have to read how powerful a man looks, how hot and sculpted his body, how rippling his biceps and pecs, and so on? Even in the most gruesome, dramatic situations, Fryer (it's easier to just go with Fryer, allow it) always seems to reason with her hormones rather than her brain (?).

I only pushed myself to the end out of spite.

The one redeeming quality this book has is Lucien. I truly loved Lucien. He was actually the type of character I always fall for: imperfect, great humour, a bit self-conscious and self deprecating, kind and protective... Yes, Lucien was the only reason I didn't set a library-borrowed book on fire.

If you enjoyed this book, I respect your opinion. I can see why so many people like it.

Are you one of those? I'm curious to hear why. by @picky.queer.reader

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10

3 days ago

☀️ SUNCATCHER ☀️ is out TODAY!!!
Looking for your new favorite sapphic slow burn romance? LOOK NO FURTHER!

Suncatcher by @kayla.faber.writes is out now in ebook, paperback, and hardcover!

What to expect:
Lesbian and bisexual rep
Masc x femme
Flower Girl x Street Rat
Wealth gap
ADHD and Autistim rep
Grumpy/Sunshine
Cozy romance
Hurt/Comfort
Slow Burn
Trauma AND Healing

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#sapphicbooks #wlw #queerbookstagram #romancebookrecs #indieromance

queer books. Igbta romance. sapphic books. sapphic romance. cozy books. queer author. indie romance. romance books. Italian bookstagrammer. wlw. sapphic author. cozy romance. lesbian romance. bisexual romance. ace spectrum. queer romance. ADHD representation . Autism representation. demisexual rep by @picky.queer.reader

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18

5 days ago

I've been a fan of this author since her very first book and let me tell you she's grown a tremendous amount since then. If you consider she's a native Italian, the depth of her writing is even more impressive.

I'd been chomping at the bit to read this book since the author first started posting about it as a mere idea: right away, the characters of Eris and Denny captured me and I knew their story would be incredible, because I'd seen what Kayla can do with her characters in her previous books.

Turns out my high expectations were widely exceeded.

I had to rewrite this review three times and I'm still not satisfied with it. I really want to do justice to this beautifully woven story and these incredibly human, lovable characters, but I don't think I can. There's just too much to unpack and I feel like there are things that can't be explained, only felt. You won't understand parts of this review unless you've read the book and felt these characters.

I'll start by saying that I didn't like Eris for the first few chapters, and I know, after reading the whole book, that this was the author's intent. Because, if there's something that Kayla is a master of, it's writing flawed characters who make mistakes and learn from them, not always at the first try. A believable, organic growth can always be expected in a Kayla Faber book, and this one was no exception.

At the beginning, we see a very rude and very harsh Eris one one side and the literal ray of sunshine that is Denny on the other and the contrast in pretty garish. Denny has the impulsively generous heart that only someone who grew up with way more than they needed can have. You'd call her naive, at least in the first few chapters; only later you start to see that her kind heart is stronger and braver than it seems. Eris' intent is to take advantage of Denny's niceness, but soon, as their "proximity of convenience" unfolds, she realises the girl's sweet nature is slowly worming its way past Eris' thick shell, despite Eris' best efforts to scare Denny away.

I loved seeing the shift from strangers to flatmates, because it was abrupt and not at all smooth: Eris is aloof and hates human interaction, Denny is spa by @picky.queer.reader

3

16

a month ago

Look who's back from the grave!

I know, I've terribly absent lately, but it's been a rough year over here. I lost my dog to a very long illness and life hasn't been the same since. It may sound silly, but without him I feel less alive and less able to enjoy those little things that I used to love so much, like reading.

So here I am, trying to revive (and revamp) my old page with a fresh new style and hopefully some new reads!

If anyone has recommendations with queer books (preferably romance) with low angst and well written characters, drop me title and author and I'll be happy to check it out!

Back to the main topic: I'm a huge fan of Tamsyn Muir and I have no idea how I didn't know there were short stories in the Locked Tomb series available for FREE! Goes without saying that I'm eagerly catching up!

Muir has this uncanny power to make me love ALL her characters. Even the ones I hate are absolutely wonderful. I usually have a hard time connecting with characters and the Locked Tomb Series blew me away with how much it made me care for so many different people. So of course when I found out about this story, I dived into it immediately, because Palamedes and Ianthe are my favourite characters, along with Cam.
Muir's writing is so unique, so full of personality, and so good, it just grabs you by the throat and pulls you into the story right away. Spoiler alert: she's as insane in her writing as her characters are insane in their heads, but this is why we love her.
Palamedes and Ianthe have the most hilarious, sizzling chemistry. I geuinely adored every bit of this huge trip. The banter is DELICIOUS. I need morauthors with Muir's wits and humour.

I'm trying to experiment with new aesthetics, but nothing seems to convince me.

If anyone has tips or can suggest pages that teach you how to improve on Canva, please, share. 🤣

#bookstagram #bookrec #thelockedtomb #queerbooks #queerbookstagrammer by @picky.queer.reader

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4

2 months ago

I know a book is good when the main characters don't get on my nerves within the first few pages.

It doesn’t happen often.

But me finding characters lovable and endearing? Virtually impossible.

I was offered an ARC of this book just a few days ago and I accepted despite being stuck in a bad reading slump for months because I will always do my best support new authors and queer stories, and this story in particular sounded like my cup of tea.

I wasn’t wrong.

I can't possibly express how mind-blown I was by this book. It's so well-written, so heartfelt and genuine... Nev is my favourite character and I knew right away: just a few lines and I just knew. The buildup between her and Ronnie doesn't lack a rocky component, but it's the sizzling banter and genuine mutual care that will get you invested in them. I'm generally not a fan of the age gap trope, because it often involves unhealthy power imbalances, but this is not the case and it even played a pivotal point in my appreciation for this book.

The author has a gift that I've rarely found even (or especially) in trad published books: she can make you feel her love for her story and her characters through her writing. And it's so fluid and compelling you'll hardly be able to put the book down.

If you like sapphic (b)romance, you can’t miss this incredible, deeply human journey in the Australian outback, and be ready to fall in love.

Read this book. You won't regret it.

❤️

#arcreview #queerbooks #sapphicbooks #romancebooks #booklover taken in Bookstagram by @picky.queer.reader

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9

6 months ago

Will I ever not get moved my autistic rep in queer romance?

And I said specifically queer because so many of us neurospicy kids are also unapologetically not straight and not gender conforming.

It's almost like social constructs don't influence us. 😮 (said the aro bisexual polyamorous atheist 🤣)

QOTD: do you have a favourite autistic character or have you read any good book with autistic rep you'd recommend?

I can't want to publish my current WIP and be able to incorporate it in posts like this.

Writing Eris and Denny is like splitting my self in two to create two whole new people who couldn’t be more different (from each other and from myself) and who still end up surprisingly close. Because autism and ADHD diverge in many aspects, but they're so similar at the core.

Neurospicy brains need neurospicy friends to survive. We need the understanding, the unconditional acceptance, the validation without questioning.

I know for a fact that many of my followers are neurospicy and I don't think it's a coincidence that mosy of my closest Booksta pals are among them.

📌 Share this post and help me spread some love for autistic representation! ❤️

P.S. special thanks to @picky.queer.reader for helping me find sapphic books with autistic rep, because you all know I'm a bad reader and wouldn't have been able to put this post together on my own. 😅

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diverse reads . sapphic romance . Igbtq romance . sapphic books . sapphic romance . cozy romance . five star reads . indie author . indie romance . romance books . comfort reads . queer books . disability romance . autistic rep . autistic characters taken in BOOKSTA by @picky.queer.reader

3

21

9 months ago

🌈 Let me introduce you to a wonderful Pride Month read!

💙 Someone Like You by @kayla.faber.writes

Bringing you:

- heart-warming MM romance
- later in life queer awakening
- bisexual rep
- graysexual rep
- ********* rep [MAJOR SPOILER]
- amazing mental health rep
- the cure to toxic masculinity

I'm still not iver this book and keep rereading it because it's just a little over 200 pages and I can't get enough of it.

Phil and Ian's story fits perfectly in these 200 pages, it's fully flashed out, deep, emotional, touching, a little devastating (oh, but it's such a sweet pain!), and you'll get to the epilogue with a dropped jaws and your heart bursting with feels.

Review coming soon!

The book comes out on June 27th, so if you would like to request an ARC, contact @kayla.faber.writes! You can thank me later.

💙 Preorder link: https://a.co/d/dLG7naH

#booksta #mmbooks #queerromance #lgbtqbooks #mmromance #gayromance #achillean #queerbookstagram #rainbowbookshelf #queerreads #bookwormsofinstagram #lgbtqbookstagram #lgbtqromance #lgbtqromancebooks #bookrec #newreleasebooks taken in Bookstagram by @picky.queer.reader

3

2

a year ago

🌈 Happy Pride Month, everyone!

What book would you recommend to read for this Pride Month?

Drop me a rec (1 to 3, because I know it's hard to narrow it down!) and I'll make a post with a collection of all your recommendations! If you want to also tell me why you recommended this book, even better!

Looking forward to seeing your responses!

#pridemonth🌈 #pridebooks #rainbowbookshelf #lgbtqbookstagram #pridemonth2025 #diversereads #lgbtqreads taken in Books Books Books by @picky.queer.reader

3

3

a year ago

Any MF romance readers around here? I'm new to the genre. 😅

I've never read an MF book from start to end.

I'm not overly fond of how romance in general is usually oversexualized and focuses too much of the physical side of love (which often isn't even love, but sexual attraction), and het romance normally doesn't do it for me.

Out on a Limb, however, was recommend to me by an author I admire and whose judgement I trust completely, so here I am, reading my first MF book and, surprisingly, enjoying it very much. Thanks for the heads up, @kayla.faber.writes ! ❤️

Stay tuned for the full review!

#romancereaders #bookworm #romancestragram #romancebooks #romancerecs #romancelovers #booksta #bookishblog #readersofig taken in BOOKSTA by @picky.queer.reader

3

8

a year ago

I just finished this one and I'm not okay.

I might have a new favorite book. Kayla did it again.

I'm going to need a second read before I can post a coherent review and want to take it easy because there’s so much to say about this book and I want to do it justice.

Take these beautiful quotes for now. I hope they convince you to read this incredible MM romance, because, trust me, your heart will thank you!

What di you usually prioritize in reviewing a book?

I'm a "characters first, writing second, plot third" kind of reviewer. The characters are the beatung heart of a book: a good plot with flat, soulless characters isn't worth much to me.

Which is why this one touched me so deeply.

Detailed review coming after pt 3 of this post.

Keep an eye out!

#booksta #lgbtqbooks #mmromance #gayromance #achillean #queerbookstagram #rainbowbookshelf #bookwormsofinstagram #lgbtqbookstagram #lgbtqromance #lgbtqromancebooks #bookrec #newreleasebooks #arcreader #bookrelease #mmbooks #coverartwork #beautifulbookcover #prettybooks #cozyromance taken in BOOKSTA by @picky.queer.reader

3

2

a year ago

Disclaimer: this is my first MM romance read and also my first ARC!

Actually, I've never read a romance that wasn't sapphic before, simply because, despite being pan, I feel more in tune with sapphic love. But when you favorite author surprises you with an achillean romance, you can't say no, because you know it'll be a banger, so here we are!

Thank you so much @kayla.faber.writes for granting me this opportunity to read this book on advance (as if I didn't nag you for months while you were writing it 🙄).

I'm trying my very best not to devour this story because I really want to enjoy it and all bookworms know the impossible desire to go back in time to be able to read a book for the first time again. So, yeah, I'm going easy, despite my heart being desperate to see how it ends.

I'm currently halfway through and I can safely say this book is already going to be an all-time fave.

Full review will be coming in the next few weeks, because the book is coming out on the 27th of June and I want to be ready be forever then!

💥 Are you a MM romance fan? Will you be reading this one?

If you're a lover of reads where you can feel the characters fall in love and yearn for each other, this one should go straight to the top of your TBR!

💥 Make sure you preorder your copy here:

https://forms.gle/4D7S5nwgTk16XixBA

Keep an eye on my page for further quote highlights and fangirling! 😍

‼️P.S. I just realized something went wrong with the second quote of slide 4. Here's the missing part:

“Phil Hanson.”
[...]
“Handsome indeed.”
A red tinge crept into Phil’s neck and up to his ears. “Hanson.”

#booksta #lgbtqbooks #mmromance #gayromance #achillean #queerbookstagram #rainbowbookshelf #bookwormsofinstagram #lgbtqbookstagram #lgbtqromance #lgbtqromancebooks #bookrec #newreleasebooks #arcreader #bookrelease #mmbooks #coverartwork #beautifulbookcover #prettybooks #cozyromance taken in BOOKSTA by @picky.queer.reader

3

7

a year ago