To Read or Not To Read

This stunning and magical anthology is one I had been meaning to read for a long time—and I'm so glad I did. A collection of retellings of Asian myths and legends by authors all apart of the Asian diasora, this anthology is empowering and beautiful, haunting and heartbreaking, the perfect collection of fairytales for your shelves. Ellen Oh is the cofounder of We Need Diverse Books and author of the award-winning Spirit Hunters series for middle grad readers and the Prophecy trilogy (Prophecy, Warrior, and King) for young adults. Originally from New York City, Ellen is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. Ellen lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and three children and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel. You can visit her online at www.ellenoh.com .  Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting...

A highly compassionate and engaging read, Sequoia Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark is a testament to the human spirit. This incredibly hopeful novel takes readers into the minds of vastly different people, in different places and times, to demonstrate just how truly connected we all are. Sequoia Nagamatsu is a Japanese American writer and managing editor of Psychopomp Magazine , an online quarterly dedicated to innovative prose. Originally from Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay Area, he holds an MFA in creative writing from Southern Illinois University and a BA in anthropology from Grinnell College. His work has appeared in such publications as Conjunctions, The Southern Review, ZYZZYVA, Fairy Tale Review , and Tin House , among others. He is the author of the award-winning short story collection Where We Go When All We Were is Gone  and works as an associate professor of creative writing at St. Olaf College. He currently lives in Minnesota with his wife, their cat, and a robo...

My 300th review on Goodreads (wow!), an epic number that can only be matched by an epic book—and Babel definitely fits that bill! A historical fantasy that reads like an epic for all of the content it spans, Babel not only explores the intricacy of friendship, but the intricacy of language, and the hand-in-hand role that colonialism and power play in the understanding and evolution of language and translation. Rebecca F. Kuang is a Marshall Scholar, Chinese-English translator, and the Astounding Award-winning and the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Award nominated author of the Poppy War trilogy and the forthcoming Babel . Her work has won the Crawford Award and the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel. She has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale. To learn more, you can find her online at rfkuang.com . 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera...

Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was an American novelist. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye , was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon (1977) brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987); she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.  Below, find the best quotes from Sula, Beloved , and A Mercy and their corresponding page numbers! I utilize my own editions (which match the cover images used below), but regardless, the quotes will appear in order of whichever text you use. Sula (1971) It is sheer good fortune to miss somebody long before they leave you. Dedication It was not death or dying that frightened him, but the unexpectedness of both. In sorting it all out, he hit on the notion that if one day a year were devoted to it, everybody could get it out of the way and the rest of the year would be safe and free. In this manner he instituted National Suicide Day....

Jasmine Guillory is the queen of contemporary romance, and she proves it once again with her newest novel, Drunk on Love . A novel that explores the complexity of all types of relationships while also catering to the those who love a steamy romance, Drunk on Love is the perfect read to add to your fall TBR.  Jasmine Guillory is a New York Times bestselling author. Her novels include The Wedding Date, the Reese's Book Club selection The Proposal , and By the Book . Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appétit, and Time . Jasmine is a frequent book contributor on the Today show. She lives in Oakland, California. You can find her online at JasmineGuillory.com , or on Instagram @JasminePics. You can find more of my reviews of her work here . Margot Noble needs some relief from the stress of running the family winery with her brother. Enter Luke: sexy, charming, and best of all in the too-small world of Napa, a stranger. The chemistry between them is unden...

Nisha Sharma's first If Shakespeare Was an Aunty series book, Dating Dr. Dil is just as rompy as it sounds. With a healthcare talk show, sister's wedding, and a house on the line, these two characters have a lot to handle—including each other. Sharma is able to create a trope-y read that also starts to explore the complexities of culture and tradition. Nisha Sharma is the award-winning author of YA and contemporary romance. She grew up immersed in Bollywood movies, eighties pop culture, and romance novels, so it comes as no surprise that her work features all three. She lives in Pennslyvania with her Alaskan-born husband; her cat, Lizzie Bennett; and her dog, Nancy Drew. You can learn more about Sharma online at nisha-sharma.com . Kareena dreams of having a perfect love story like her parents did. That's why on the morning of her thirtieth birthday, she's decided to suit up and enter the dating arena. When her widowed father announces he's retiring and selling their...

One of the best books I've read all year, Shirlene Obuobi does everything absolutely right. Not only is On Rotation completely addictive (I was stealing minutes just to read sentences), but it also explores all facets of life—from career troubles to friendship, love life and family life, and all the worries in between. I couldn't put this book down, and readers like me will be clambering for more from Shirlene Obuobi!  Shirlene Obuobi is a Ghanaian-American physician, cartoonist, and author who grew up in Chicago, Illinois; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and the Woodlands, Texas. When she's not in the hospital (and let's be honest, even when she is), she can be found drawing comics, writing on her phone, and obsessing over her three cats. She currently lives in Chicago, where she is completing her cardiology fellowship. You can learn more about Shirlene Obuobi at shirleneobuobi.com . Ghanaian-American Angela Appiah has checked off all the boxed for the "Perfect Immigrant D...

As much a love letter to people with ADHD as it is a love letter to love stories, Mazey Eddings's sophomore novel Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is a testament to the contemporary romance genre. Equal parts steamy and swoony, this novel is sure to make you tear up for as much as it'll make you laugh. Mazey Eddings is a neurodiverse author, dentist, and (most important) stage mom to her cats, Yaya and Zadie. She can most often be found reading romance novels under her weighted blanket and asking her boyfriend to bring her snacks. She's made it her personal mission in life to destigmatize mental health issues and write love stories for every brain. With roots in Ohio and North Carolina, she now calls Philadelphia home. She is the author of A Brush With Love . You can find her online at mazeyeddings.com . You can find more of my reviews of her work here .  Lizzie has made endless mistakes. Kitchen fires, pyramid schemes, bangs (of the hair and human variety)—you name it, she...

Just as charming and hilarious as one would expect from author of The Worst Best Man, Mia Sosa's The Wedding Crasher is sure to delight. Set in the same world but with brand new characters and an exciting premise, Sosa brings to the page larger-than-life characters with beyond relatable problems, life experiences, and doubts about love and the future.  Mia Sosa writes funny, flirty, and moderately steamy contemporary romance that celebrate our multicultural world. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Yale Law School, Mia practiced First Amendment and media law in the nation's capital for ten years before trading her suits for loungewear (read: sweatpants). Born and raised in East Harlem, New York, she now lives in Maryland with her college sweetheart, their two bookaholic daughters, and the one dog that rules them all. For more, visit her at her website  miasosa.com . You can find more of my reviews of Sosa's works here . Just weeks away from ditching DC for gre...

What's not to love about Mia Sosa's  The Worst Best Man ? It's hilarious, charming, with goofy yet emotionally vulnerable main characters and a sticky situation that creates the perfect tension. I loved every second of reading this book—I finished it in literally one day! I laughed and cheered the main characters on as they navigated their lives right back to one another. An absolutely perfect read. Mia Sosa writes funny, flirty, and moderately steamy contemporary romance that celebrate our multicultural world. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Yale Law School, Mia practiced First Amendment and media law in the nation's capital for ten years before trading her suits for loungewear (read: sweatpants). Born and raised in East Harlem, New York, she now lives in Maryland with her college sweetheart, their two bookaholic daughters, and the one dog that rules them all. For more, visit her at her website miasosa.com . You can find more of my reviews of Sosa'...

Alexis Daria's second in the Primas of Power series, A Lot Like Adiós , follows Jasmine's cousin Michelle as she navigates a freelance marketing career and the return of a childhood friend who left without a goodbye. The sequel in the series is just as addictive as it's first, and will be pleasing to fans of contemporary romance looking for a trope-y read. Alexia Daria is a native New Yorker and an award-winning author writing stories about successful Latinx characters and their (occasionally messy) familias. Her debut,  Take the Lead , was a 2018 RITA Award winner for Best First Book and was named one of the Best Romance Novels of 2017 by the  Washington Post  and  Entertainment Weekly . Her superpowers include spotting celebrities in NYC, winning Broadway ticket lotteries, and live-tweeting her favorite TV shows at @alexisdaria. You can find more of my reviews of Daria's works here .  After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has buil...

Alexis Daria is proving to be a powerful force in the contemporary romance sphere. With a novel that hones in on diversity and inclusivity of Latinx people in media, as well as diving into the complexities of working as an actor, Daria has set the stage for a vibrant, thoughtful trilogy.  Alexia Daria is a native New Yorker and an award-winning author writing stories about successful Latinx characters and their (occasionally messy) familias. Her debut, Take the Lead , was a 2018 RITA Award winner for Best First Book and was named one of the Best Romance Novels of 2017 by the Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly . Her superpowers include spotting celebrities in NYC, winning Broadway ticket lotteries, and live-tweeting her favorite TV shows at @alexisdaria. You can find more of my reviews of Daria's works here .  After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York Cit...