Thank you for giving me an advanced copy of this book. The short stories were unique and touched on a multitude of different aspects. Some had you thinking more than others but overall there was a sense of wanting to connect.

Rating: 2.5 Stars
The stories within this book were quite thought-provoking, though I did enjoy them, or well most of them. There is quite a variety of stories within the book, I deeply enjoyed the first two but by the end, I think I just felt confused as all the stories were just so different and I couldn't find a narrative plotline or theme between them all personally. Or I didn't get behind the characters.

I feel this book could be deeply enjoyed by a different reader and there could be a community for this book, but for me this was just confusing. Thinking more about this book, I felt more confused about more stories than ones I understood and enjoyed.

Access to the ARC was acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review even if I got to it so late.

Tea Leaves is a remarkable collection of short stories that showcases LGBTQ characters navigating larger-than-life situations, highlighting the complexities of marginalization.

Each story presents its own strengths and weaknesses, but collectively, they offer a compelling reading experience. While the narratives are enjoyable, they can be emotionally challenging, particularly for readers who find the themes resonate closely with their own experiences. Overall, Budenz’s work is both poignant and impactful, making it a worthwhile read for anyone seeking to explore diverse perspectives.

A solid 4 - maybe even higher.

I loved this set of short stories, they're queer, naughty, innocent, magical and human. I've thought about the individual stories a lot, as I've gone about my day - what do the elements want from me? What if this dingy shop was a portal to the devil?

The thread running through each of these stories is a deep yearning for connection, attempts at remedying our own loneliness. Like a good collection, the sum is greater than it's parts, and this book leaves you heartbroken and whole.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Tea Leaves is an incredible collection of short stories that are beautiful and haunting.

The author’s well-established writing style made this a cohesive collection with a similar feel to each story, despite a wide range of subject matter. I was fully immersed in each world as I read, and when I finished I longed to return.

This is a book I will want to reread often. Many of these stories will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amble Press for the review copy.

I received an ARC from Netgalley

Tea leaves is an eclectic mix of short fantasy stories filled with mythical creatures and magic. From moments of pure joy to depths of despair, the characters in these stories face challenges and dark moments of life that will tug at your heartstrings. Each story is a journey of self-discovery and love, exploring the depths of human emotions in a fantastical setting.This collection doesn't shy away from tackling difficult topics that the LGBTQIA community often faces. From dealing with hatred and judgment to delving into the darkness that can reside within our hearts, these stories offer a raw and honest portrayal of the human experience.
Get ready to embark on a spellbinding adventure through worlds where love knows no bounds and magic is just a heartbeat away.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was a fun, imaginative collection of short stories that have a thread of reality running through the fantasy worlds they're based in. Budenz has a great narrative voice, and each story was compelling in its own way. There's a wide array of representation among the characters, and the stories differ from each other quite a bit. I will warn you, some of the stories can get quite dark, and while not every story will be a hit for all readers, it's such a diverse collection that it'd be easy to find at least a few you'll enjoy. I was actually impressed by how different they all are. Overall, I really enjoyed this.

This was definitely interesting but not what I was expecting. While I realized it was a collection of short stories, they just felt a little all over the place for me and enjoyed some a lot more than others. I enjoyed that it was not afraid to tackle difficult topics that people in the community face daily because it is really important to do so. However, I felt that some were just a little too straight forward and didn't allow the reader to be able to immerse themselves into the stories and feel what the characters were feeling. It has potential. I just think it wasn't right for me.

I was excited to read this because it sounded like a book I would enjoy, but I was let down by how difficult it was to get through this anthology of short stories. The characters and plots appeared to be the result of the writer's haphazard attempt to get as many words as possible into the written work. Although I understand the purpose of this anthology and the author's intentions regarding gay representation, I have seen much better examples of this type of writing in other books and anthologies. None of the stories really caught my attention, and occasionally I had trouble understanding what the point of each one was. Additionally, I didn't like the writing style. I didn't have a good reading experience overall.

Average rating = 3.25. Rounded to 3.5 for personal stats. Rounded to 4 for Goodreads
Firstly I'd like to start this by saying this is the first time I've read a short story collection that hasn't been a part of a pre-established series or has not had the stories connected in some way normally by following the same character or character group, and unfortunately I don't think this type of book works for me.
I would say if you have read and know you like these types of short story collections before or if you like the storytelling style of a season of black mirror where you see a snippet of this thing and then move on to something different then you could really like this.
I really enjoyed the writing style and if the author ever comes out with a full length novel I would read it.
I did write down a couple of sentences after finishing and individual rated each story, you can find this below by viewing spoilers, spoilers are minor but in many I do talk about the plot or point of stories which you don't know before going into them.

<spoiler>
Seen - 2.5 stars, MC really seemed to hate himself and not only put himself down but constantly talk of others in a negative light too. Because it was a short story it felt like there wasn't room for character growth but the ending made me hopeful it was heading that way. In terms of the fairies I found them interesting I'm not sure I totally understood but I also don't think I was meant to

Of the Air and Land - 3.5 stars, I didn't love the open ending but apart from that I like alot of things about this one, the two main (human) characters were not likable however I didn't care about that because I was just chilling with the spirits causing chaos. Their chat really amused me and for someone who often struggles with comedy in books I found quite a few bits funny.

Under Her White Stars - 4 stars, really enjoyed this it had a very different tone to the first two and it really worked for me, I felt like I got out MC's personality without actually knowing anything about our main character and it was very interesting to read. I also liked how the story ended up being so different and having a very different point to what I expected.

Deadbeat - 3 stars, very short, idk I felt like as soon as I started it it ended so truly don't know how to rate it, it wasn't bad but it didn't do anything for me either.

Mask for Mask - I'm really not sure about this one, I think i'd round it up to 4 stars, although it didn't 100% work for me in terms of the main character and not caring about where the plot was going because of not caring for him this was very bingeable and probably the first story of the collection that i've wanted to invest in and really really liked the premise and how interesting speculating about what was really happening was.

I think at this point of 5 stories into the collection I'm not sure reading this type of story in such a short form is working for me 100% but as long as i continue to enjoy the rest of the stories I can see myself picking up a full length novel by the author in the future.

HouseGuest - 2.5 stars. I was captivated by what was going on but felt like I was waiting for a reveal that never happened. I think it was well written as it made me uncomfortable but something about it didn't work for me, I think it was the open endedness of now understanding what happened, but maybe it was the length I'm not sure.

The girl the crows followed - 4 stars creepy, short, curious about the crows. Wish it was longer I would have liked to have known more about both characters.

Ah,well - 3 stars but I feel like I can't give it a higher rating as this just felt like the first couple of chapters of a book and I just wanted to continue reading and following lindens journey, I could 100% see this one day being a cosy fantasy novel full of hope and comedy, but because that's how I see it it just didn't feel complete

The colour of cream - 2 stars. I think the basics premise of being unhappy and needing a push to leave is nothing new and I never like it. And the story itself didn't do anything for me.

Tea leaves - very interesting premise, I started reading it seemed cool, I was just starting to get interested in how this thing could work, what is is how is it going to be explored and that was the end there was nothing more. 3 stars I guess it had promise to be interesting but was over too soon. I'm also really struggling to apply a star rating to the ones that are only ~3 pages as it doesn't feel like enough to rate off of.

Trial - 4 stars this was interesting and I feel like made alot of good points it's also the first story that has said something I've loved so much that I had to highlight it. I didn't overly care about the story but it's also the first one that I understand why it's only a short story as I feel like no matter how much you agree with what the MC is saying in a longer format it would have come across as preachy and annoying. So yeah this worked for me.

Borealis - 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story, the witchy take on sleeping beauty/ the sleeping this way that you read about in odd history books. The take was interesting and it did feel like the main point of the story was concluded. Unfortunately I just don't think short story collection like this are my thing, and I just wanted more.

A theory on lamposts - 4 stars. I found this truly interesting. I think this short story would make a very interesting discussion and overall think piece for a bookclub or reading group. It feels like there's so much left without answers to delve into

And then again to the next - 2 stars I just didn't care. I don't read second chance romance books because I personally think it's stupid to get back with someone you were willing to let go and was willing to let you go you know it won't work. This was that many many many times over. I know there was more messaging in this than just a romance but I couldn't see past the trope.

The oak I knew - 4 stars I felt so absorbed into this world and so invested in our main character, whilst I still can away wishing to know more and follow this character more I also came away from the story hopeful in so many ways. It also surprised me too, and in a society sucks way didn't surprise me in some ways too but both worked for the story.

The age of Oceanus - 3 stars. What this had to say is so important and I like and stand behind the message behind it. Humans suck and we need to change before it's to late. But that was it for me it was to short for me to feel truly invested in the story even with being invested in the message.
</spoiler>

Thanks to @netgalley , the publishers @amble_press and the author @dreambabyjake for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Clever short story collection packed with queerness. Great for reading while cozed up in a pile of blankets or in a hammock. Just watch out for alligator bros.

this book opened a whole new way of looking at the world- there is magic in the smallest interaction, you just have to be open to seeing it.

I loved the openly queer themes and vibes of these stories and would have loved for some of them to be longer format stories: there's always hope where this is concerned.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book, it was a brilliant start to 2024.

I was looking forward to reading this as the description made it sound like a book I would love, but I was disappointed as I struggled through this collection of short stories.

The storylines and characters seemed like random ideas thrown together as the writer desperately tried to reach a word count. I can appreciate the goal of this collection of stories and what the author wanted to achieve with the queer representation, but I have seen it executed far better in other books and anthologies.

I didn't find any of the stories particularly interesting, sometimes I felt confused about what the story was supposed to be, and I found the writing style offputting. Overall, I didn't enjoy the reading experience.

I was unsure of what to expect when going into this but the stories were interesting and had me hooked. Some were a bit hard to read due to being slightly vague or being set in a historical time which isn’t my usual genre. However, this didn’t take away from my enjoyment. My favourite would have to be The Colour of Cream - it made me laugh out loud. I was actually shocked and would read this specific story again for the experience. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading these stories, especially as they were on topics that were mundane. They inspired a mix of emotions and the impact of certain stories won’t leave me for some time.

Okay, this was a very interesting approach to a short story collection, and not what I expected at all. It includes a whole range of stories, some that are firmly magical realism, some urban fantasy, some high fantasy, and some that are all three, neither, or too short to really know. Many are tinged with horror; most are pessimistic. Some are nearly thirty pages, while others are under five. While there are some themes (marginalization, dissatisfaction) that run through the book, there are few real continuities. What I love about this is it’s simply a collection of the author’s works, without particular regard for short story conventions; it’s very unique.
Unfortunately, most of the stories ranged from inspiring active dislike to just ambivalence, and I wasn’t particularly compelled by the first two thirds or so of the book. However, towards the end there were a few standouts: I particularly enjoyed “Borealis” (about a sort of modern-day sleeping beauty whose aunt helps wake her from her slumber with the offer of freedom), “And Then Again to the Next” (a story of two lovers who meet across time and space, but only in cities doomed to destruction), “The Oak I Knew” (a post-apocalyptic critique of society that can’t quite be called a love story, and “The Age of Oceanus” (a brief tale of the death of river goddesses). These four were actually quite good, and if you should end up with a copy of this book you’d be well-served to skip ahead to these if you aren’t enjoying the first few. This actually makes plenty of sense – the stories have been written by the author over his career, and in these few stories I felt like he was really beginning to touch on some particularly resonant themes. So these ones are absolutely worth reading, even if the first several aren’t.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tea Leaves is a collection of short stories with a fantasy/speculative/dystopian lean underpinned by explorations of queer life and existence. From eldritch octopus horrors in cafe restrooms, to reincarnated lovers destined to find each other in doomed cities, to shape changing reptilians, these short stories are varied and exciting, and some are deeply emotional, or incredibly terrifying.

A fantastic collection, some of which I really wish were used as opening chapters to full-length novels, particularly The Oak I Knew. A powerful and riveting collection.

I enjoyed this collection of short stories! It wasn't my favourite anthology I've read but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Short stories are great to read when you just want to get a taste of a certain genre. The queer take on this was really interesting. Some stories were very good some i couldn't grasp well enough to like. Its still an amazing take in the LGBTQ Community. I would read again for sure some of them still were very good.