Mixed-race children, women forced into prostitution, and soldiers on all sides. Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is a nuanced narrative of people affected by the Vietnam war and its aftermath. A book that is relevant now more than ever before.
Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry is a memoir not just about food but also about fat shaming, body image, and the author’s lifelong struggle with it. A book about family, loving yet oppressive, with their subtle and not-so-subtle jabs about her weight and color. A public figure who struggled with body image before finally coming to accept her body.
Somewhere Sisters by Erika Hayaski peels back the layers to uncover the harsh truths of interracial and transnational adoptions. Asian and Asian American identity, the nature versus nurture debate, poverty and privilege, and what it means to give a child a good life.
TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo is much more than a rom-com. It is about beauty standards and social prejudices. About the pressure on teen girls to fit into the specific boxes. About self-worth that isn’t (and shouldn’t) be measured by outward appearance.
Rivals to lovers. Grumpy girl x sunshine boy. Diverse characters. Realistic relationships. Cute banter. . And most important of all, being your unapologetic self. Beauty and the Besharam is an easy summer read that is full of heart.
Historical fiction with a hint of magical realism. This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke is the story of human resilience. Of the youth stepping up to take back what is rightfully theirs.
Science, magic, and myth clash in an intriguing tale of our environmental crisis. The Tiltersmith by Amy Herrick explores a looming question. What’s going wrong with our seasons and our eco-systems?
A gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers featuring a girl with chronic illness. A finishing school that is actually a training ground for lady spies. An assassination plot. A found sisterhood. One For All by Lillie Lainoff is a must-read.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”. That is the underlying theme of The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill. A charming middle grade fairy tale.
A story told in silence. A story without words. Crushing by Sophie Burrows is a stunning debut graphic novel about two lonely souls yearning for human connection.