Lately hate crimes against the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) community has been dominating the news front. As a Filipino-American, this hits close to home and yet…living in Hawaii I feel also removed from it because we here in the islands are dominantly AAPI. So as I watch the news, and see the mass shootings, or see the elderly asian people being targeted, it saddens and angers me. Why does this keep happening? But I’ve been asking why since I was a child – why do people hate people?
I just wanted to show my support for the AAPI community in a way on this blog, so here are some books by asian authors that I love:
These Violent Delights by. Chloe Gong
Yolk by. Mary H.K. Choi
Unravel the Dust by. Elizabeth Lim
Skyhunter by. Marie Lu
Secret Crush Seduction by. Jayci Lee
The Last Story of Mina Lee by. Nancy Jooyoun Kim
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by. Jenny Han
I’ll Be the One by. Lyla Lee
The Kiss Quotient by. Helen Hoang
The Silvered Serpents by. Roshani Chokshi
The Damned by. Renee Ahdieh
The Downstairs Girl by. Stacey Lee
Patron Saints of Nothing by. Randy Ribay
The Bone Witch by. Rin Chupeco
One of the best things about starting this blog and joining the book community was finding a bunch of authors I had not been familiar, authors of all ethnicities. Finding all these blogs or bookstagram accounts showcasing different genres and authors really opened my book world up even further. Now my reading world is much bigger than it’s ever been and that’s a lovely thing.
Let’s always try to be better and spread love instead of hate. ♥️
Categories: Urban Fantasy, Black Lives Matter, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Identity, Magical Realism
Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.
But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.
I love the cover – it is gorgeous!
I really liked the concept of this urban fantasy world where sirens, sprites, eloko, mermaids and gargoyles. I’ve always been fascinated with sirens and gargoyles. The fact they are here together in one book is awesome.
This book was released in 2020 when the tensions in the USA was at an all time high with the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so much more. The pandemic was going on, Black Lives Matters protests, it was volatile, and if you watched the news, Portland, Oregon was the home of many protest stand-offs. So this book being set in Portland with the death of Rhoda Taylor gracing the news – it definitely reflects our current time.
I really enjoyed the parts that brought in some creepiness like the sprites and their singing Red Rover…what was up with that? I did enjoy when the story went there towards the fantasy side so I want more of that.
Tavia and Effie are tight as can be – their bond is very strong which is beautiful.
I was sometimes lost reading this book because there was a lot going on. Also at times Tavia and Effie were so tight, I couldn’t remember if I was reading Tavia or Effie’s chapter.
As much as I loved the fantastical elements in this book, I was confused a lot and this book is under 300 pages, which means I should have finished this quick. I didn’t, I struggled through it. I was probably expecting more fantasy and explanations about the different creatures living in this world.
I love the concept of this book but the execution didn’t work for me. I wanted more of the magical elements. I wanted the fantasy to blend better with the contemporary world with black lives matter dominating Tavia and Effie’s life because the issues in this book are relevant, important and need to be read. I’m reading the second book next since I have it as an arc from NetGalley so I hope that one is better.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Funny Book Titles
I had to google this topic and it brought me down a strange rabbit hole of weird/funny titles – here are a few:
I am always crafting but…with cat hair? Wow!
Uh huh…my puppy hasn’t pooped in my shoe yet *knock on wood* but can he stop pooping on my dining room rug? I know, patience, it will get better…for the most part he poops outside, it’s just the times we don’t catch his cue to go out and he can’t hold it.
Now this one really made me laugh! What a catchy title! 🤣 I wish I could make quilts but sewing is not my favorite thing to do.
This was my face when I saw this…😳. I mean…🤷🏻♀️
Kids ask the funniest questions! I bet this book would be pretty funny.
Yes, who of us have always wanted a vampire for Christmas?! 😅 I want one for Halloween. 🤷🏻♀️
I feel like out of all of these titles, a wocket in my pocket sounds tame! 😂
I’d say this is more frightening than funny but can you imagine going through this book? I love pop-up books, so I think this is a little genius. 😅 Definitely for the thrill seekers!
😆🤣😳
I literally LOL’ed reading this title! 🤣 How can you not?
That’s all I got for you today! I hope these titles brought you some laughter today. Drop me your link in the comments! Would love to see your TTT post. 🙂
The girls make their final stand in this third and final novel in the thrilling, subversive near-future series from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young about a girls-only private school that is far more than it appears to be.
There is no one who can save your rebel soul…
The girls of Innovations Academy escaped the confines of their unethical school, fought against the system protecting predators who targeted girls for harassment, and they’re not done yet. They’re still not free.
Reeling from one revelation after the next, Mena and her friends begin to unwind the truth of their existence and, as a result, their destiny. The men from Innovations Corporation still hunt them, the woman who created them still wants control over them, and worst of all, Mena realizes that through all her pain, all her tears, the world of men has not changed. There is no more time to hope for the best. The girls know they are in a battle for their lives, a war for their very existence.
The girls of Innovations Academy have sharpened their sticks to fight back, they have fought for justice with blood from their razor hearts. And now, the girls will choose their true nature…and how they define their rebel souls.
*****
Everyone said that Lupe Martínez was a good kid. She listened to her mom, she helped at the homeless shelter, she got good grades, and she had a bright future ahead of her.
Until she disappeared.
Now no one knows what to think. The police are sure she ran away; her mother is sure she didn’t. Days have passed and no one knows what to do until her family priest suggests they call in an old friend. A very old friend.
Carwyn ap Bryn and Brigid Connor are two elemental vampires finding the lost, righting wrongs, and searching for meaning in the endless stretch of immortality they’ve been granted. And trying not to blow things up, but that might be more aspirational. Saint’s Passage is the first book in the paranormal mystery series, Elemental Covenant by Elizabeth Hunter, USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Legacy series, the Glimmer Lake Series, and the Irin Chronicles.
*****
Ellie Agresti’s not sure anything could be worse than being dumped by her boyfriend, Hunter, the first day of senior year.
But sharing a “life skills” class with him and his new girlfriend, Brynn? AND getting partnered with a “family” of misfits (A.J., the loudmouth; Isaiah, the horse-racing obsessive; and Luke, the tattooed stunt-biker)?
It’s a recipe for certain disaster…until an in-class competition allows Ellie to channel her angst into beating Hunter and Brynn’s team, and she unexpectedly bonds with her own group–especially Luke–in the process.
But as Ellie soon discovers, it will take more than classroom triumphs to heal her broken heart–and find herself again.
*****
What new release book are you looking forward to reading soon?
Categories: Romance, Ballet, Young Adult, Paris, Contemporary
As sweet as a macaron from Laduree, with writing as crisp as a freshly baked baguette, this romantic novel set in Paris about an American ballerina and a charming French boy is parfait for fans of American Royals and Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Sixteen-year-old Mia, an American girl at an elite summer ballet program, has six weeks to achieve her dreams: to snag an audition with one of the world’s best ballet companies. But there’s more to Paris than ballet—especially when a charming French boy, Louis, wants to be her tour guide—and the pair discover the city has a few mysteries up its sleeve.
In the vein of romances like Love and Gelato, this is the perfect summer adventure for anyone looking to get swept away in the City of Love.
Aesthetics ~ Paris, ballet and a romance? What’s not to like? And that cover too? It screams cuteness!
It’s set in Paris, I’ve been there once and it was way too short, but Mia’s romantic ideas about Paris is what I felt too when I was there. It’s a beautiful city and I was jealous at how many croissants she was eating in the book. Even Mia’s insta-romance with Louis was perfect because come on, it’s Paris.
I love ballet stories ever since I saw the movie Center Stage (remember that oldie but goodie?). And then there was Black Swan which was pretty wild. So my love for ballet started with movies and I could see this book turned into a movie or tv series. Ballet is so intense with competition between dancers but mostly the competition within oneself to be the best, it’s drama and always makes a great story.
Speaking of drama? I love Audrey and Mia’s relationship the best. When they finally get to know one another, they make realize they have made each other better dancers. I like seeing two top girls supporting one another! I really enjoyed their friendship journey.
As for the romance, Mia and Louis fall in love after 6 weeks. Quick? Oh for sure, but it fits Mia’s character, she feels about everything strongly, love and heartbreak equally. I enjoyed her adventure with Louis as they looked for Mia’s ancestors who maybe was in a painting by Degas.
This is a super quick, light and fluffy read which charmed me the moment Mia touched down in Paris. There were some issues Mia had to deal with like her mother not being supportive of her passion for ballet, but other than that Mia pushes forward because she knows what she wants.
I did like that Mia pointed out to Louis just because she knew what she wanted she had to remember some people are still trying to find out what theirs is. So true.
I really enjoyed this sweet story about a girl with a dream and chasing after it in Paris! Mia makes new friends, she improves her craft and her french. She even finds family and love. What more could you ask for? I felt as light as this book by the end and wish I could hop on a plane to Paris to eat some amazing croissants.
#SixforSunday is… it’s really just that. You choose 6 books (normally) that you’d choose to fit whatever the prompt is that week. This meme is hosted by A Little but a Lot and you can follow the link to find the prompts for January to March.
This week’s topic:
Characters you think deserve a holiday
Athan Dakar from the Glass Alliance series needs a long holiday. The ones he gets in the book are wayyyyy to short. This boy is a fighter pilot in a war that keeps dragging on. He is suffering from PTSD, lost his girl, has killed people, lost family and gets tortured in the end. If there was someone who needed a break? It’s him!
*****
I mean Queen Lia died and came back to life. Who needs a vacation and a happily ever after, it’s her. She gets the happily ever after but still…the things she had to go through to get there? She deserves a holiday with her love.
*****
A single mom making ends meet? Jess deserves a holiday and then some!
*****
Roselle went through hell and back in this series, she needs a mental health break! So a holiday for this girl is much needed.
*****
Brexley needs a vacay, ASAP. She has to kick ass and escape a hellish prison and now is on the run in the savage lands? Yes, she needs a holiday for sure!
*****
What Tierney went through was madness and basically hell. She definitely deserves a holiday!
*****
And that’s who I think deserves a holiday/vacation and can they take me along too? I haven’t had a vacation in 10 years! 😭
Title: Southern Sun, Northern Star (Glass Alliance, #3)
Author: Joanna Hathaway
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 432
Publication Date: 4/20/21
Publisher: Tor Teen
Categories: Historical Fantasy, Romance, War
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Battles, revolution, and romance collide in Joanna Hathaway’s stunning, World Wars-inspired Southern Sun, Northern Star
Reeling from the tragedy that beset her family, Princess Aurelia has joined the resistance in Havenspur, spying on the Northern leaders who were once her allies and determined to stop her uncle’s machinations for war. Meanwhile, her beloved pilot Athan leads his squadron into battle as the Safire wage a losing war abroad and combat growing unrest back home.
When Athan is sent on leave to Havenspur following the death of a comrade, the pair reunite and rekindle their romance until Aurelia uncovers one of Athan’s secrets, a secret that could save countless lives. But exposing it to the right people will cost her Athan’s trust, and this time, their shared memories of love might not be enough to stop the fateful path of destruction that threatens all they’ve fought to defend.
As history unfolds around them, every move they make drives them one step closer to either recreating their parents’ shadowed past or redeeming the alliance that could bring peace.
The breathtaking finale to a legendary series. Part war drama, part romance, Southern Sun, Northern Star is the epic conclusion to the Glass Alliance series.
War is horrible and it affects everyone on both sides or every side, in awful ways. This book is the culmination of the war Safire is waging, the precipice where we find out which way the ending will unfold. And it comes with fire, death, and the sheer will to keep going, fighting and surviving. We are at the front lines, we are in the trenches with these characters and it’s grueling.
We see Aurelia make the most drastic change of all the characters, she becomes the thing she never thought she could be. The reason I love this series is in most fantasies where a girl turns into a killing machine, there is an evil she is fighting. In this series, it is not so black and white ~ there is so much gray and the killing here is realistic. It is people killing people, not people killing fantastical creatures/people. So Aurelia changing from a sheltered Princess into a killer, saddened me. I was hoping someone would keep their innocence in this war but that’s what war does – it robs the young of their innocence.
Athan’s change comes with being a fighter pilot for way too many campaigns. He has killed, shot planes down, it’s become automatic but something has got to give. What gives is his family breaking apart. Athan’s childhood and young adult life has been tragic, but in this final book it takes his tragedy to a new level. Athan could have broken so many times…but he stays strong as best he can, it’s all he can do.
All the loose ends are tied up nicely in this conclusion. Secrets are revealed and very hard choices are made. The writing is beautiful consistent from the start to the finish of this trilogy.
Triggers: death, violence, war, PTSD
Arrin was the one who I wanted to know more about as the books went on and we do find out more about him which I’m happy for but his story is sad. Everyone’s story broke my heart but I was hoping something could turn around for Arrin.
I’m not sure if it was just me, but there were some spots I had to reread because I felt like I missed something, for example, the General’s secret being revealed. It took me awhile to realize how Athan found out, but minor things like that where I should have been paying more close attention, I think it was because I was so emotionally exhausted (the war scenes are gritty), I just missed a few things because I was trying to look for a happy moment and in this book it is rarely there.
This book is the perfect conclusion to the whole Glass Alliance series. What could I expect of a story of two families mired in war? Heartbreak. Despair. But it was so realistic, I was always hoping so hard for the war in the story to end. I love how this series delves into the changes that happen to the characters and shows how war affects everyone involved in it from the front lines, the masterminds and the people bothering not getting their hands dirty. From start to finish this series was written beautifully. It’s definitely a must read if you are into historical fantasy.
My puppy Atlas is soooooo cute, until he chewed up my laptop charger! 😒 Hence I haven’t created a post all week since Tuesday. So frustrating and expensive but he’s 4 months old, what can I do? He finds everything to chew right now!
I finally got my charger back today and brought my laptop back to life again. So what’s new? Here’s what I am reading this week:
And here is what I finished:
What I’m reading next?
I kind of love when book titles are song titles, it makes me start singing the song in my head or out loud, like this one. 😅
I really need to start making a dent on my physical book TBR pile.
I hope all of you had a good week of reading and I’ll be going through your blogs to check out posts I’ve missed the past few days. Have a good weekend!
Happy book birthday to all these new releases! Which books are you looking forward to reading?
For readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange, Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community.
Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.
Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.
Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.
Now, as the deceptions―and deaths―keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.
*****
This whip-smart rom-com explores the risks and rewards of letting love in, for fans of Jennifer E. Smith, Julie Buxbaum, and Sandhya Menon.
How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways…
Aubrey Cash learned the hard way not to rely on love. After all, Webster Casey, the new boy next door she’d been falling for all summer, stood her up at homecoming in front of everyone with no explanation. Proving her theory that love never lasts seems easy when she’s faced with parents whose marriage is falling apart and a best friend who thinks every boy she dates is “the one.” But when sparks fly with a boy who turns out to be Webster’s cousin, and then Webster himself becomes her lab partner for the rest of senior year, Aubrey finds her theory—and her commitment to stay single—put to the test.
As she navigates the breakdown of her family, the consequences her cynicism has on her relationship with her best friend, and her own confusing but undeniable feelings for Webster, Aubrey has to ask herself: What really happened the night Webster stood her up? And if there are five ways to fall out of love…could there perhaps be even more ways to fall back in?
*****
Trader. Fighter. Survivor.
With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems.
As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception she learns that her mother was keeping secrets, and those secrets are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them then she must risk everything, including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.
Filled with action, emotion, and lyrical writing, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with Namesake, the final book in the captivating Fable duology.
*****
In this sequel to A River of Royal Blood, Eva and Isa must find a way to work together if they want to save their queendom in the thrilling conclusion to this royal fantasy duology.
Now on the run, Eva is desperate for answers about her transformation and her true heritage. Along with Aketo, a small contingent of guards, and the sister she could not kill, Eva flees Ternain in hopes of finding friends and allies to the north–not to mention Baccha–to help her decide what to do next. Princess Isa is a difficult, unremorseful captive, and Eva knows better than to trust her sister, but she wants to. Despite their history, Eva is convinced that to survive the growing unrest in the queendom, she and her sister must make peace. Since the Entwining ceremony, Eva’s and Isa’s lives have been bonded, and each can only die by the other’s hand. This perhaps provides an opening for a truce and a more hopeful future for both the sisters and the queendom, if only Isa would see reason and give up the battle for the throne.
With the two princesses on the run, the Queendom of Myre is on the brink of a revolution. And without Baccha to guide and train her magick, Eva must find a way not only to survive her own metamorphosis, but to unite all the people of Myre, including her sister, by finally taking the Ivory Throne.
*****
Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with a thrilling novel where an eighteen-year-old girl’s search for answers lands her in one of the most terrifying situations imaginable.
Four days… Trapped in a well, surrounded by dirt, scratching at the walls trying to find a way out. Four days of a thirst so strong, that when it finally rains, I drink as much as possible from the dripping walls, not even caring how much dirt comes with it.
Six months… Since my escape. Since no one believed I was taken to begin with – from my own bed, after a party, when no one else was home… Six months of trying to find answers and being told instead that I made the whole incident up.
One month… Since I logged on to the Jane Anonymous site for the first time and found a community of survivors who listen without judgment, provide advice, and console each other when needed. A month of chatting with a survivor whose story eerily mirrors my own: a girl who’s been receiving triggering clues, just like me, and who could help me find the answers I’m searching for.
Three days… Since she mysteriously disappears, and since I’m forced to ask the questions: will my chance to find out what happened to me vanish with her? And will I be next?
*****
Fifteen acclaimed YA writers put their modern spin on William Shakespeare’s celebrated classics!
West Side Story. 10 Things I Hate About You. Kiss Me, Kate. Contemporary audiences have always craved reimaginings of Shakespeare’s most beloved works. Now, some of today’s best writers for teens take on the Bard in these 15 whip-smart and original retellings!
Contributors include Dahlia Adler (reimagining The Merchant of Venice), Kayla Ancrum (The Taming of the Shrew), Lily Anderson (As You Like It), Patrice Caldwell (Hamlet), Melissa Bashardoust (A Winter’s Tale), Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy (Much Ado About Nothing), Brittany Cavallaro (Sonnet 147), Joy McCullough (King Lear), Anna-Marie McLemore (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Samantha Mabry (Macbeth), Tochi Onyebuchi (Coriolanus), Mark Oshiro (Twelfth Night), Lindsay Smith (Julius Caesar), Kiersten White (Romeo and Juliet), and Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (The Tempest).
*****
Harley has three goals—stay alive, avenge her brother’s death, and overthrow the traitorous king.
When Harley receives an invitation to the royal castle for her cousin’s birthday, she’s elated at the offer. As the queen’s niece, she’s expected to make an appearance, but this will also be her first time attending a formal function as a married woman. However, what starts as an elegant party quickly turns into a nightmare. One that flips Harley’s world upside down.
Ackley’s mission should have been simple—arrive in Melenia, submerse himself in battle, and retake the kingdom for his sister’s newly betrothed, the rightful king. Instead, he finds the land ravaged and a young woman who could be the key to his undoing. When forced to choose between family, honor, and love, he realizes all of his years training to be an assassin, knight, and prince never prepared him for this. Ackley always thought he’d die by the sword. But what he never realized was love could be the most dangerous weapon of all.
This is the first book in a new series by Jennifer Anne Davis. Filled with romance, battles, and espionage, this book will immerse you into the world of her previous books like you’ve never before imagined!
*****
I’m definitely getting Fire Keeper’s Daughter – the cover alone is just something I need on my shelf! 😍 What books are you getting this week?
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 