Monthly Archives: August 2017

Most Anticipated MG/YA Releases of September and October

August 13, 2017ListicleContemporary, Dystopian, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle Grade, Own Voices, Science Fiction, Young AdultThe Shenners

So September and October are a gift because there are so many great kidlit titles coming out from authors of color. Here’s a [far from exhaustive] list of ones I’ve had on my radar! I’ve had the privilege of reading many of these already (16 out of 24, which is 2/3), and I can tell you that they are amazing. 🙂

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (Sep. 5th) – Young Adult, SFF, Gay Puerto Rican (#ownvoices) and Bisexual Cuban American MCs, M/M romance

2 boys who are going to die meet and bond over the course of about 24 hours

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins (Sep. 12th) – Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Indian/Bengali American MCs (#ownvoices), Biracial Black/Bengali MC

5 women spanning 3 generations of a Bengali family in the U.S. negotiate their multicultural identities

Shadowhouse Fall (Shadowshaper #2) by Daniel Jose Older – Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Afro-Latina Puerto Rican MC

Supernatural and real world forces of evil threaten the lives and community of Sierra Santiago, who will do anything to protect her own

Warcross by Marie Lu (Sep. 12th) – Young Adult, Science Fiction, Chinese American MC, #ownvoices

A gamer girl/bounty hunter hacks her way into the world’s biggest virtual reality game tournament and is hired to track down a suspicious figure lurking in the game

Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh (Sep. 15th) – Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopian, Korean MC, #ownvoices

A boy who has risen in the military of a future Korea is drafted into a special weapons project that turns girls into war machines and starts to fall for his charge

Rise of the Jumbies (The Jumbies #2) by Tracey Baptiste (Sep. 19th)- Middle Grade, Fantasy, Black Trinidadian MC, #ownvoices

Corinne La Mer makes a dangerous journey across the Atlantic to find a way to save the missing children of her island home

One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2) by Kendare Blake (Sept. 19th) – Young Adult, Fantasy

The deadly race for the throne has begun, the last sister standing wins.

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore (Sep. 19th) – Middle Grade, Contemporary, #ownvoices Black MC, secondary Black Autistic character

Following his brother’s gang-related Death, a boy struggles to cope and avoid the gang life and finds solace in building Lego creations at the community center.

The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh (Sep. 19th) – Middle Grade, Contemporary, #ownvoices Taiwanese American MC, secondary Autistic character

One summer away has upended Bea’s life and friendships, forcing her to make new ones and develop confidence in being herself.

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman (Sep. 26th) – Young Adult, Contemporary, Biracial white/Japanese American MC, Social Anxiety rep, #ownvoices

An anxious aspiring artist flees her abusive home with an old friend-turned-crush and embarks on a journey that will transform her.

Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar (Oct. 2nd) – Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Indian MC, #ownvoices

A girl is swept up in the freedom movement of India through her mother’s participation and becomes involved herself in radical change.

Akata Warrior (Akata Witch #2) by Nnedi Okorafor (Oct. 3rd) – Middle Grade/Young Adult, Fantasy, Nigerian American MC, #ownvoices

A girl and her friends develop their powers as Leopard people to face down and vanquish a threat to humanity.

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore (Oct. 3rd) – Young Adult, Magical Realism, Bisexual Latina/Mexican American MC, #ownvoices

The Nomeolvides sisters are blessed and cursed. Flowers flow from their hands, but their love makes those they love disappear. A mysterious boy who emerges from their garden estate may be the key to unlocking the secrets of the past and even breaking the curse.

Seize Today (Forget Tomorrow #3) by Pintip Dunn (Oct. 3rd) – Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopian

The conclusion to a series about a girl who foresees her own future in which she kills her sister and must work to stop herself.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani (Oct 3rd) – Young Adult, Contemporary/Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Indian American MC, #ownvoices

An Indian American girl connects with her heritage through a magical pashmina that transports her to India.

Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2) by C.B. Lee (Oct. 5th) – Young Adult, SFF, Black trans boy MC

Bells becomes a fugitive due to a coverup by the Heroes’ League and has to take down a corrupt government while applying to college and working up the courage to confess his feelings to his best friend.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (Oct. 10th) – Young Adult, Fantasy/Retelling, Chinese MC

Xifeng has a great destiny awaiting her, but her path to becoming Empress of Feng Lu requires her to embrace the darkness within her.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone (Oct. 17th) – Young Adult, Contemporary, Black MC, #ownvoices

A Black teen processes his feelings about antiblack racism through a journal dialogue with Martin Luther King Jr. and becomes the center of a media storm when he and his friend become victims of police brutality.

A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo (Oct. 17th) – Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Queer Chinese American MC, #ownvoices

Jess harbors a crush on her best friend Angie and through Angie, is drawn into a wealthy but seedy social circle with dangers they cannot escape unscathed.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez (Oct. 17th) – Young Adult, Contemporary, Mexican American MC, #ownvoices

After her sister’s death, a girl feels alone and pressured to take her sister’s place, only to discover that her sister may not have been as perfect as she seemed.

Like Water by Rebecca Podos (Oct. 17th) – Young Adult, Contemporary, Besexual Latina MC, Secondary qenderqueer character

A small-town girl falls for someone who brings to the surface secrets she’s been trying to suppress.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Oct. 24th) – Young Adult, Contemporary/Thriller, Novel-in-Verse, Black MC, #ownvoices

His brother is dead, and he’ll make the killer pay, but as he goes down the elevator, someone new appears who is connected to his brother, and he may not make it to the bottom.

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani (Oct. 24th) – Young Adult, Contemporary, Black Christian MC, #ownvoices

A girl navigates her budding sexuality in an ultra-religious environment that treats sex as forbidden and dirty.

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi (Oct. 31st) – Young Adult, Nigerian-inspired Fantasy, Black MC, #ownvoices

Sin-eaters practice magic to rid people of their guilty feelings but pay the price in a being permanently marked and a short life-span. Taj is called to eat the sin of a royal and is forced to fight against an evil that threatens his entire home.

#TheReadingQuest TBR

August 12, 2017Reading ChallengeThe Shenners

If you haven’t seen #TheReadingQuest reading challenge floating around Twitter, then you’re missing out! The theme, concept, and graphics for this challenge are all amazing, and I’m excited to be participating for the next month. This challenge is hosted by Aentee @ Read at Midnight and the graphics are by CW @ Read Think Ponder. You can find out more about the challenge here, but basically you pick one of the four character classes and follow a quest that is a series of reading prompts tailored to your character class.

I am playing as a Rogue, and here’s my character card:

Rogue The Reading Quest

Here is the reading quest board. My path is the bottom row going from the bottom right corner to the bottom left.

reading-quest-board1

Here are my picks for each prompt:

A Banned Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Thanks to Google, I found out that this book was banned at a high school in Texas near me. I am super late to the party on this one, but now that I have a signed copy I grabbed from Barnes & Noble, I’m ready to finally experience this highly acclaimed #ownvoices book about a Spokane Indian boy.

The Disappearance of Ember Crow

A Book Cover with a Partially Obscured Face: The Disappearance of Ember Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina

Ever since I finished The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf, I’ve been meaning to continue the series, and here’s my chance to knock it off my TBR.

Fire Boy.jpg

A Book with <500 Ratings on Goodreads: Fire Boy by Sami Shah. Aimal @ Bookshelves and Paperbacks recommended this book, and I’ve had the ebook for a while but haven’t gotten around to it.

perfect-liars

A Book Published by a Small Press: Perfect Liars by Kimberly Reid. This book features a Black girl who’s valedictorian of her school, and the love interest is Asian, specifically Korean American, if I recall correctly.

adaptation

A Book with a One Word Title: Adaptation by Malinda Lo. I’ve literally had this book for over a year and haven’t read it, and I’m long overdue to read it.

I don’t know how far I’ll get doing the other quests, but this is my tentative TBR for all of the other character and side quests outside of the Rogue’s path. 🙂

The first book of a series: Songs of Insurrection by JC Kang
A book with a verb in its title: POC Destroy Fantasy, edited by Daniel José Older
A book with a weapon on its cover: Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
A book with a red cover: Elements: Fire A Comic Anthology by Creators of Color Edited by Taneka Stotts
A book that has a TV/movie adaptation: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
A book set in a different world: The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang
Potions: a book concocted by 2+ authors: This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
Multiplayer: buddy read a book: ?
Grind: a Book with 500+ pages: Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima
A fairy tale retelling: ?
A book based on mythology: The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Time Warp: A book set in the past or the future: Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford
Open World: read whatever you want: A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo
Respawn: read a book you previously did not finish: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
A book cover with striking typography: Paris Pan Takes the Dare by Cynthea Liu
A book that contains magic: The Speaker by Traci Chee
Expansion: Read a companion novel or short story: Death & Night by Roshani Chokshi
Mini-Game: Read a graphic novel, novella, or poem collection: The Red Threads of Fortune by JY Yang
Animal Companion: Book referencing an animal in the title: The Foretelling of Georgie Spider by Ambelin Kwaymullina
A book translated from another language: Dragon Sword and Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara, translated by Cathy Hirano

Book Playlist: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

August 9, 2017Book PlaylistThe Shenners

genie lo cover

Okay, so this is my second book playlist (the first being for Want by Cindy Pon), and I’m happy to introduce y’all to these songs that I feel represent some aspect of The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee. It was hard to find songs with the themes/feelings I needed, but I definitely got the perfect “theme song” for Genie. Below is the track list (song titles link to YouTube) along with translations where appropriate and commentary. Enjoy!

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo album tracks

1. 終極三國 – 曾沛慈+東城衛 (K.O.3anGuo – Pets Tseng+Dong Cheng Wei)

(3anGuo=SanGuo=Three Kingdoms from Chinese history)

This has exactly the right feel for The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. It’s the theme song for a Taiwanese drama where students face down supernatural forces. The following lyrics (translated by me) were perfect for Genie:

Until the final moment, I refuse to back down
Even if the battle rages for days, hope is still in sight

Until the final moment, I refuse to back down
Even tears scattering can’t blur my vision

Sinister forces are clamoring, hunting me down to provoke me into duels
My battle prowess soars – don’t think you can escape

After I shed my uniform jacket, I’ll let you make ten moves first
[Otherwise] I’m afraid you’ll be laughed at – KO’d in one punch

2. Destiny – Infinite

I chose this song by my favorite kpop band Infinite to represent Quentin’s feelings toward Genie, specifically (spoiler alert, highlight text to read) his feelings as the Monkey King losing his beloved Ruyi Jingubang. (end spoiler) Lyrics of note (translation credit: pop!gasa):

Don’t leave, don’t turn around, I can’t let you go like this
Even if you leave me like this, you can’t escape me
Cause you are my destiny
Don’t turn around and leave me, don’t brush me off, don’t avoid me
You are my destiny

3. Run Around – Jasan Radford

90s throwback, anyone? (~~God, I’m old.~~) This song is from the English dub of Digimon 02, and I chose it for the frenetic feelings it invokes. It’s a song that goes well with Genie and Quentin’s scramble to fight demons all over the Bay Area. The lyrics are self-explanatory and can be found in the description of the YouTube video linked. ^o^

4. 天下大亂 – 蘇慧倫 (Chaos – Tarcy Su)

This song is the opening theme to the Taiwanese drama adaptation of Mulan from 1999 featuring Anita Yuen as Mulan (one of my favorite Mulan adaptations tbh). The title is an idiom that literally means “big mess under the heavens,” so I took artistic liberty and translated it as “Chaos.” The theme of the song is of a woman taking control of a messy situation, thus making it perfect for Genie. Lyrics of note (translated by me):

The Heavens can’t fix it
My fate is mine to settle

The Heavens are broken, the world is broken
Everything, everywhere is unhinged

5. Borders – Amber Liu

This last song is by Amber Liu, a Taiwanese American who’s a part of the popular kpop girl group f(x). She wrote it from a very personal place, and the theme is about breaking free of expectations and standards that hold us back, whether it’s the policing of gender expression (Amber is known for rocking an androgynous look in an industry where female idols are supposed to be ultra-feminine), stereotypes, or stigmas. I thought it was an appropriate song for Genie since she struggles to feel like she’s any good when faced with the dehumanizing experience of applying to competitive top colleges where you are measured against a checklist of traits and accomplishments. The chorus is a good message to keep in your heart during these tough times:

’Cause mom said I’d be crossing borders
Never be afraid even when you’re cornered
Stand up straight, fight your way
Fight your way, fight your way

#ARCAugust TBR

August 2, 2017Reading Challenge, TBRThe Shenners

Another month, another reading challenge! For those who are curious as to what happened with my #24in48 challenge, I managed to finish 7 out of the 10 books on my TBR for the challenge, which is probably the most success I’ve had with a reading challenge in a while since I started working full-time. Despite burning through 7 ARCs for #24in48, I still have a million and one ARCs to get through, which is why I’m signing up for #ARCAugust. Here’s my rough TBR in no particular order (minus the split between YA and Adult)!

YA Fiction