Literary Ligase: January 2017

Ten Diverse Books I Want to Read

North of Happy by Adi Alsaid

Mexican-American protagonist who runs away to the United States to escape the stigma of the perfect son, all while having the voice of his now dead brother leading the way. Carlos Portillo loves to cook and pursues a career in cooking under his favorite celebrity chef, and must now decide what is most important to him.

Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

Based off the story of Mulan and additional Asian folklore (I believe), our protagonist, Mariko, is the daughter of a samurai and skilled alchemist, promised to be wed to the Emperor's son. Attacked on the way to the castle, Mariko is now on the hunt to infiltrate the Black Clan, the people who attempted to kill her.

Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross is a virtual reality game that has taken the world by storm. Emika Chen, a bounty hunter who tracks down players who illegally bet on the game, accidentally glitches herself into the game to become an overnight sensation. Emika is then called in by the games creator to solve a security problem in the game. Sent off to Tokyo, Emika now has to unravel a sinister plot that may change the way the world views Warcross forever. Warcross features a primarily POC cast and Marie Lu is my favorite author, so of course I'm excited.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Featuring a cast of primarily POC characters, Empress of a Thousand Skies is a space opera dealing with raging war, vengeance, and legacy. Rhee is the crown princess and only remaining survivor of her powerful dynasty. Aly is falsely accused of killing Rhee and in turn now has to prove his innocence. With the galaxy on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly must confront evil that threatens everyone.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

This is a YA romantic comedy about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married. Dimple and Rishi are both headed to the same summer camp together, where they immediately gravitate towards each other. In this book, the two discover how love may prevail in the most unexpected of ways.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Nina LaCour is known to be a brilliant writer with an excellent way with words, so I am beyond excited for the release of this book. We Are Okay features a queer protagonist, who I am so thrilled to meet. Marin is a college student in New York who left all the tragedy of her old life behind in California. Now, months later after the consistent pull and lure of the life she left behind, Mabel, her best friend, is coming to visit and Marin will have to face everything that's been left unsaid.

Want by Cindy Pon

Want features a POC cast (that may be mostly Asian, I am not sure don't quote me on that) with an interesting dystopian, sci-fi tech fused plot line. Jason Zhou lives in a divided society where the wealthy elite can buy longer lives. The rich wear these special suits that protect them the pollution and disease that plague the city. With the help of his friends, Jason infiltrates the lives of the wealthy in hopes of destroying the cooperation from the inside out. Soon enough, however, Jason finds himself falling for the head of the cooperation's daughter. Now, he must find way to save his city, while also protecting his heart

The Bone Witch by Sin Chupeco

I believe The Bone Witch features a cast of diverse characters, including an Asian MC (maybe?). Tea is a witch unlike the others in her family. Born with the powerful gift of necromancy, Tea is feared by her community. Tea leaves to take up an apprenticeship with another bone witch, where she plans to learn elemental magic. However, soon Tea realizes that dark forces are on the move and that she must make a powerful decision. Dubbed as Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind, I know The Bone Witch is going to be amazing.

The Thing We Call a Heart by Sheba Karim

I thought this part of the synopsis was perfect and does it way more justice than I ever could: "Featuring complex, Muslim-American characters who defy conventional stereotypes and set against a backdrop of Radiohead’s music and the evocative metaphors of Urdu poetry, THAT THING WE CALL A HEART is a honest, moving story of a young woman's explorations of first love, sexuality, desire, self-worth, her relationship with her parents, the value of friendship, and what it means to be true."

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. Then the return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a happy distraction to the heavy responsibilities of her life. But then, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.

See also (regarding the synopsis of this book): thread by Tristina Wright & thread by Hannah Moskowitz

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

5/5 Stars

Published by Henry Holt

Published September 20th, 2016

Synopsis: Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

Caution ahead: this is going to be a really messy review in which I basically word vomit everything I felt throughout this book. So if you're really in the mood for a laugh and maybe some tears, please stick around I swear I'll make it worth it.

Before we begin this treacherous journey back into my depths of despair, let's just acknowledge the elephant in the room - the ending to Six of Crows. I already thought I could never be betrayed as much as I was during those final 20 pages, but I was so very wrong. Leigh Bardugo came back with a strong duology ender and probably one of the best books I've ever read in my life. Her writing continuously gains depth and just keeps getting better as the years go on. The prose was so obviously tended to with such tender loving care, but it was so effortless that reading Crooked Kingdom was like a breath of fresh air ~~even though you felt like you were drowning.~~ There is no denying that Leigh Bardugo is great at what she does.

Here is where I share with you my anticipation for upcoming books! Breaking the Spine has introduced me to this and I am super excited to get to participate. Please feel free to comment what books you are looking forward to as well!!

Synopsis: Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

I love love love A Court of Mist and Fury with my entire being. How will SJM top herself after releasing such an amazing novel? We'll find out May 2017 when A Court of Wings and Ruin is released.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

5/5 Stars

Published by Harlequin Teen

Published July 31st, 2012

Synopsis: "I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.
So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again..

This book was electrifying. Pushing the Limits is one of those stories that you cannot put down. From the very first page, you'll want to invest the rest of your day to reading this heart-wrenching story. This is the first time I've read a book by Katie McGarry and I'm so happy to say that I enjoyed every single moment of this book. Katie McGarry has a way of hooking you with fiery relationships, heavy baggage, and intimacy - both physical and emotional. I was in dire need of a contemporary novel with a classic heavy romance and this fulfilled just that. After finishing Crooked Kingdom, I needed something that was light and steamy, and while this was far from a happy-go-lucky story, it had me hooked from the beginning.

Synopsis:

Empress

Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he's forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.

Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.

I have been raving over this book ever since I heard about it. Rhoda Belleza is a 2017 debut author whose story seems just as bright and beautiful as she is. Empress of a Thousand Skies features a diverse cast of characters (most of which are Asian I believe, which is why I am so excited) and brings forward an interesting twist between sci-fi, warring galaxies, and an Asian influence. So far I have heard that this book is fast paced, action-packed, and has a very compelling writing style, which has me intrigued beyond belief. You give me a badass, female, Asian MC, a boy that must now fight to save not only himself, but the galaxy, and vengeance all in a single book - it's like you've written it just for me.

Empress of a Thousand Skies releases February 7th, 2017 and I highly recommend that you preorder this bad boy!!

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