Ended my book buying ban with books that bring me joy: books by Asian women.

Can‘t wait to start these because I need some joy in my life! Think we all do during these dark times.

Character study of an isolated and repressed woman, there‘s a lot to unpack here.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbZKwxTOhum/?utm_medium=copy_link

New books I‘m excited about. Been hearing amazing things about WHAT MY BONES KNOW.

Thank you to the pubs for these #gifted copies!

Prioritizing these backlist books for #BlackHistoryMonth!

Currently reading HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK, a post-apocalyptic novel about humanity tries to rebuild after a climate plague.

Oooof, this book is dark. Beautifully written but DARK.

What are you guys reading?

*ARC provided by by the pub

What a ride! Such a weird and unsettling but addicting book.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXqwYLKFwdW/?utm_medium=copy_link

Some upcoming 2022 fantasy titles I‘m excited for!

Thank you to the pubs for these gifted copies. ❤️

Quiet and unsettling, this one is about loss of memory but also loss of free will and identity. Layered and thought provoking. Highly recommend for those who enjoy dystopian novels.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMUsLNJl4m/?utm_medium=copy_link

Happy Halloween!

To celebrate, I‘m currently reading THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE. Gothic horror, supernatural and mystery, this has everything I‘m looking for. Hope its good! 🤞🏼

I loved this amazing short story collection by Anthony Veasna So. Published posthumously, this is a poignant, funny, and beautiful glimpse into the lives of Cambodian Americans.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUoBU1lldq4/?utm_medium=copy_link

HAPPY PUB DAY to #STEELSTRIKER by #MarieLu! got this yesterday and have not put it down. I loved the first book, SKYHUNTER, so I‘ve been eagerly waiting for the conclusion.

If you love YA Fantasy, this duology is for you!

Have you read the first book? Is this on your TBR??

One of my fav reads of this year and now one of my fav short story collections of all time! This genre-defying collection will take you for a ride. It has horror, sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism and speculative fiction. Truly disturbing but absolutely refreshing with lots of social and cultural commentary about South Korea. Bora Chung is one to watch!

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTxiMyThIkm/?utm_medium=copy_link

#womenintranslation

LAST • NOW • NEXT

LAST:
SEEING GHOSTS by Kat Chow. Emotional and vulnerable. This one was heartbreaking as the author writes about grief, family and identity.

NOW:
THE MEMORY POLICE by Yoko Ogawa. Just getting into this dystopian translated fic! Jury‘s stI‘ll out.

NEXT:
THE LAST EXILES by Ann Shin. Excited for this one since it‘s set in North Korea. I know it‘ll probably be sad but craving the familiar.

Any of these on your TBR?

New books! Super excited for all of these but especially SEEING GHOSTS and VELVET WAS THE NIGHT.

Thank you to the pubs for these #gifted titles.

See any on your TBR?

Love this bookstore! 😍😍😍 #skylightbooks

Book mail!

Thank you to the pubs for these copies. Can‘t wait to read these, especially HARLEM SHUFFLE!!

Are any of these on your TBR?

#APIHeritageMonth may be over but let‘s not forget to read Asian and diversely all year long!

Both of these memoirs are by Korean American authors and while they both are very different, they both reminded me of much of my own family.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPehc1yryVC/?utm_medium=copy_link

This dystopia, post-apocalyptic novel originally written in Korean is the first queer novel to be translated into English. Written before COVID-19, this one feels so eerily real. Reminiscent of THE ROAD, this one is grim and bleak, but still hopeful.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CO-6Ro7LFe6/?igshid=3g0rcisr6a8d

This queer historical YA set in San Francisco was special for me to read because I was able to walk the streets and neighborhoods mentioned in the book. This is a beautiful story about first loves, self-discovery and found family. I love that it gives a voice to those lost in history—queer Asian American women.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/COL-3u9rZbA/?igshid=z9m4p83ef7hx

Happy May! April has been a crazy month for me.

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who‘s sent me cards and letters from #LitsyLove crew. I read every single one and appreciate them all. I haven‘t had time to write back since we moved and I also haven‘t been feeling the best. But I promise I will!

Also, May is AAPI Heritage Month! I put a few recos together on my IG:

https://www.instagram.com/p/COVUco3riG5/?igshid=10qguw8fjusaf

Thank you @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks and @TheBookHippie for this birthday package! I got this right before I moved and I was so surprised. Thank you so much! ❤️❤️❤️ #LitsyLove

Witty, dark and imaginative, this political satire set in speculative Korea includes six interconnected stories about the lives of the citizens of a 647-building that acts as its own sovereign nation. Recommend to those who enjoy political satire and speculative fiction and for those looking to expand their world just a little bit.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMPsmQngbT6/?igshid=1afib0bmyntjx

Elatsoe is 17 years old, Lipan Apache, asexual, oh and she can raise ghosts of dead animals. I loved #ownvoices representation and rich Lipan Apache culture. Part-fantasy and part-murder mystery, this one was SO good!! Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy and mystery.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKrbktyAFoN/?igshid=6ylnnpm07ca5

I loved this one so much. Absolutely beautiful story about immigration and being undocumented. Highly, highly recommend this slim but powerful novel.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CL9xYifg-QN/?igshid=5tdw931dmyfm

Thank you to Avid Reader Press for the ARC. This one is out now!

What seems like a page-turning mystery quickly turns into a study of racial inequality and its weight within a community. Thought-provoking, this one will elicit strong emotions.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLfVnEPgBtR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This has to be one of my top favorite books of all time. Based on true events at the Arthur G. Dozier‘s School for Boys in Florida, this one will break your heart. But, it is such an important one to read.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CK7OfZ-Az6l/?igshid=velz0fichv0h

It took me a little bit to get used to the writing. But once I did, this novel blew me away. So incredibly smart and layered and funny, I absolutely loved this.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKSo9mBATIu/?igshid=1wgmnmpls7hm2

What an eye-opening novel about three women who are cis and Trans. Complicated, messy and utterly honest, I thought this novel was powerful and so important.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ9pTWDA70Z/?igshid=5iv5ju5e1bsp

A family saga set in the States and Saudi Arabia, this one spans decades and is heartbreaking. I learned a lot about Saudi culture and enjoyed my first book written by a Saudi female author.

Full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKZiR0cgN1N/?igshid=1iutrajrz6cph

Thank you @Tin_House for the gifted ARC!

Oak Flat is a mesa in the Southwestern desert of Arizona and a holy place for the San Carlos Apache Tribe, a burial ground and religious site. It is also one of the world's largest untapped resources for copper. And in 2014, a law was passed to transfer this holy land to a private company who will mine Oak Flat until it is depleted and collapses. Eye-opening, this graphic nonfiction is a must-read for all.

Full review on my IG & Goodreads!

Focused on the history & folklore of the island rather than the hanyeo, the author provides vivid descriptions of the island and life on Jeju. The evocative writing transported me back in time and it was both magical and heartbreaking. However, I felt the writing to be a bit jarring at times, switching from beautifully long & detailed descriptions of the landscape to the sudden change in short dialogue. I also wanted a bit more character growth.

The sheer talent, tenacity & heart that the author exhibits in his memoir is astounding. As Laymon dissects his relationship with his body, writing, addiction & family, he explores the weight that black bodies carry and how this weight, perceived by society as dangerous & disposable, is rooted deeply in American society. Layered and complex, this memoir felt like the the truest representation of a human and of a black man living in America.

Quiet and reflective, this book was a timely read as 2020 ended. Katherine May reminds us that there is power in wintering, a time when we need to retreat, rest and reflect. The writing is beautiful and poetic, especially when she describes nature and her home by the sea. However, it should be noted that this book and author both come from a place of privilege. Not many of us have the luxury to winter like she does, but I agree with the sentiment.

This book embodies Defiance. Defiant against what is legal, what is normal, what is accepted. Defiant in using the author‘s name and including her experience and status. Defiant in choosing to tell the stories of the Undocumented. And in the author's defiance, she challenges our preconceived stereotypes of undocumented immigrants, gives them a face, a story, and reminds us of their humanity. Highly recommend because this is so important.

This celebrity chef memoir from David Chang talks about his restaurants but also about his mental health/illness. You won‘t find poetic or flowery prose, but you will find honesty. This won‘t have celebrity chef gossip or tips on how to make the best baos. This book is for those who see chefs as creative people — people who have anxieties, flows hope and dreams. People who mess up, just like you and me.

Beautiful memoir with poetic prose that examines relationships through the lens of a woman working through her trauma. And there is so much trauma for an indigenous woman. Stream-of-consciousness and non-linear style writing might not be for all, but still an important one to read.

Gifty is a brilliant neuroscientist born to Ghanaian immigrants and raised in a strict religious home. Gyasi explores themes around immigration, addiction, mental illness & racism, all centered around the dichotomy of religion & science. The writing is introspective and there is an emotional depth to Gifty that is relatable. And through her, we see the breadth in how we grieve + cope. The ending was bittersweet, like an ending of a friendship.

This novel is a little bit of everything — quirky, funny, disturbing and even inspiring. Keiko has worked at "Smile Mart" for the past 18 years and now 36 years old and still single, she is constantly asked questions about marriage and career. Being on the spectrum, Keiko has mastered the art of social imitation as she mimics facial expressions and behavior to fit in. This short novel is for those looking for social commentary around conformity.

This book was published in March 2020 as a response to the #MeToo movement, and months later, this book still resonates. It resonates so much more now than ever before and that is a sobering revelation. There were ideas of feminism I was already aware of, there were some I wasn't. But regardless of your expertise on intersectional feminism, this should be required reading for all.

There has been so much hype around this novel and one that I fully understand as this was my most anticipated read of this year. And it was as beautiful as I imagined it would be. This book was about Addie LaRue and her quest to live her life freely, to live and to be remembered. It certainly wasn't perfect, but it was indeed a beautiful story. No more, no less.

One of the most important books I read this year. Since disability does not discriminate, this anthology is inherently diverse in both the content and its writers. As I read through these essays, I became aware of my own “unconscious privilege” as well as the pervasive ableism and inclination for inspiration porn we as an able-bodied society carry. I highly recommend. Perfect for #NonfictionNovember.

The first book of The Poppy War series, is a historical military fantasy based on 20th century Chinese history, drawing a lot of inspiration from the 2nd Sino-Japanese War. This is a book about war and with one of the chapters based on the Rape of Nanjing, loser 3 is terrifying. Rin is a flawed MC, impulsive and petulant. However, our antihero is flawed for a reason and that is because she is human. Highly recommend, but there‘s lot of triggers.

This graphic novel version of Sapiens is at times dense, but still very fascinating and informative. And while the editing of content could‘ve been better, overall, I thought this was a fun introduction to the birth of humankind. A note that this may be problematic to those with strong Creationist beliefs. I was raised in a Christian home and didn‘t find this book offensive, but wanted to call it out.

You guys, I absolutely loved this! In fact, I loved SKYHUNTER so much that as soon as I was done with the audiobook, I immediately pre-ordered the physical book.

With elements of sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian, Marie Lu includes a bit of everything with incredible world-building and an action-packed plot. The world-building is slow but purposeful, rich but intricate. Highly recommend this for your next YA sci-fi fantasy!

This was such a fun, engaging and important book to read. While I found some things unrealistic (like how a seventeen-year-old keeps a game of that size a secret), I was too captivated by Kiera, the unapologetic celebration of Black culture, and the important dialogue around the causal racism that happens every day to really care about the technicalities of the actual game. I found this book to be inspirational and also just really entertaining.

I finished this a few weeks ago and I still don‘t know how to feel about this. The writing was so beautiful that it was distracting. Still thinking about this one...

Link to full review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEzvw-_gYvx/?igshid=1op3kcuoi1akr

These are my hopefuls for #LatinxHeritageMonth!

I‘m currently reading THE UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS and it is fantastic. Infuriating? Yes. But so good and should be required reading for all.

Disappointing for me that I didn‘t enjoy this book more. This book reminded me so much of my childhood and perhaps that‘s why it didn‘t work for me. I enjoyed Mina‘s POV and story, but Margot as a character was one-dimensional with no growth. Pacing was off and the writing flat, but the descriptions of LA were absolutely spot on.

Translated from the Arabic, THE QUEUE by Basma Abdel Aziz is a short dystopian novel that explores the psychology of authoritarianism. After the Gate assumes power in an unnamed Middle Eastern City, citizens have to wait in a queue to gain permission for even their most basic necessities. I loved the symbolism of the queue for democracy, or the pursuit of it. I did wish that the Gate was explored more and the characters a bit more developed.

This memoir is fearlessly honest and heartbreaking. Told in non-linear essays, Madden revisits her childhood and her trauma in beautifully piercing language. These vignettes explore the complicated feelings we have for ourselves and those we love so fiercely even when they hurt us. She shows us how no relationship is black and white, or right and wrong, but they are just, ours. Sometimes we have to forgive or leave or fight to heal and honor them.