#five star read

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Masquerade by LR Lam

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Have you read any good books with circus or theatre settings?

[instagram]

Review below

Trans Rights Readathon book 3

Prompt: Nonbinary, Agender, Genderqueer, and other Gender Expansive rep

Arghhhh this was such a good conclusion to this series! Everything felt so perfectly paced and the buildup and resolution were both incredible. No notes.

I love these characters so much. Micah Grey and their beautiful found family just have my entire heart. I wish I could be a part of their wonder and chaos.

I really loved how every thread was resolved, from Anisa to Micah’s mother. I love that there’s still a hint of not knowing the full extent of what’s to come in this world, knowing the world can live on in our minds, but also knowing Micah Grey’s story is finished.

I would love for Lam to write more books in this world but I am also so incredibly satisfied with this trilogy.

[f-eliza]

Caught Up Moodboard ⚾️

[tina-belcher1]

What I Read in June

I wish I read this sooner! It makes you feel every emotion in the most beautiful way. Achilles and Patroclus' love story is everything to me

Song of Achilles is by far my favorite read so far this year and it was perfect for pride month.

I love love 😭

[spellboundbybooks]

The Glass Key by Amanda Geard - 5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this wonderful book. Thank you to Amanda Geard for writing such a beautiful and lovely story. The Glass Key is a beautiful story set in both Norway and Ireland. When Atticus Swan passes away, Hellebore House is left to his daughter, Freja, who wants to sell it due to childhood memories. Freja's daughter Maggie doesn't want her mother to sell, and while she's helping pack up her grandfather's house, she digs deeper into the story of her grandmother, Anna Swan, who left Freja when she was young. In 1940's Norway, Astrid arrives in the archipelago to start a new life as a teacher's assistant. From there she meets Gudrun, Lief, Liv, and Nina. They become friends over time and when the German's come, everything changes and so do their relationships. They face hardships under German rule while keeping their Norwegian pride but things break under pressure. This story captivated me from the very beginning. Seeing Maggie slowly piece together her family history that's full of secrets and finding the next lead kept me wanting to know more and more. Maggie's relationship with her parents was loving and she only wanted the best for her mum, and she wanted her to know the truth about what happened to her mother all those years ago. In Norway, the story of Liv, Astrid, and Nina and how they helped the war while going through such hardships had me reading until 5:00am. The story and relationship between Astrid and Nina was beautiful and full of so much love. It was gripping, sad, and utterly beautiful. They were devoted to each other and their story together was my favourite part of the book. This book is one of the best books I've read in a while. Amanda Geard knows how to write a book, and every book of hers I have devoured. She's honestly one of my favourite authors, and she's Australian!

[inafictionalworld]

I JUST FINISHED MY FIRST 5 STAR BOOK IN A HOT MINUTE LET'S GO

[wonkyreads]

#84 of 2025

[sunriseonthereading]

The Knight and The Moth - Rachel Gillig

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 21/5/25-25/5/25 - Audiobook

"To tell a story is in part to tell a lie, isn't it?"

This was my first venture into Gillig’s works and honestly I’m so happy it’s where I started!

The world-building was phenomenally constructed, with a rich sense of history and a clear functional society attached to it. The Knight and the Moth echos the dark fantasy movies and media of the 80s in its storytelling, sending the reader on an epic quest while giving you glimpses into characters lives across the map (and what a beautiful map it is!).

I’m sure that most people will come away from this book utterly obsessed with the standardly tall, brooding Roderick (rightfully so, he's brilliant), but I really think the standout humans in this book are Sybil and Maude. Sybil runs the full gamut from mild-mannered and naive to confident and self-assured, all of it driven by her determination to find her fellow diviners. It’s a beautifully handled coming-of-age story that I can’t help but admire the complexity of.

And Maude, my sweet Maude, this is a character I'd go to war for. Sure, I love a found family, but I love a self-appointed Mum who doesn't even see her own maternal instincts at play. Argh! I could rant about my love for Maude for hours, but I don't want to veer too close to spoiler territory, so just know that I am the president of her fan club and would willingly read hundreds of pages about her doing literally anything.

Notice how I said humans above? Yeah, that's because the gargoyle takes the cake in this story. He's perfect! I have nothing negative to say, only that I'm so incredibly charmed by his quirks and flaws! I'm aware Gillig described his bat-like features thoroughly, but his adorable essence softens the stony exterior in my brain.

All of this to say, I thoroughly enjoyed The Knight and The Moth. The audiobook was engaging and soothingly narrated, with distinguishable voices. I sometimes worry that masculine voices and fantastical ones can veer into the comical, which I personally find hard to listen to, but this narrator kept a nice air of realism to her tone that transported me into the world. I think it has a dark whimsy to it that I rarely find in modern storytelling and think it would be a perfect fit for fans of Labyrinth, Willow and The NeverEnding Story. Equally for readers who love the storytelling of V.E. Schwab, Terry Pratchett or Phillip Pullman.

[books1311]

I can only just applaud Kellen Graves for these books. They are amazing and should get way more credit! I can't wait for more. ❤️❤️❤️