Fanticipating Reads is a monthly feature where I bring five diverse books to share with the blog readers. They are what I consider under-hyped but seem to be hidden gems so this is a short collection of what upcoming releases one should not be sleeping on.
1. THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT by Zayn Joukhadar
Releasing on 19 May 2020
✔ features three generations of Syrian-Americans
✔ mystery around birds
✔ trans boy protagonist
✔ mother’s ghost guides her son, Nadir, to unravel the mysteries around a rare bird
✔ ‘important themes of migration, sexuality, belonging, and love.’
2. PARACHUTES by Kelly Yang
Releasing on 26 May 2020
✔ young Asians as immigrant students
✔ focuses on female friendships
✔ themes of trauma & finding your voice during an immigrant experience
✔ treating sexual harassment and assault with empathy
✔ glitz and greed of economic wealth
3. REAL MEN KNIT by Kwana Jackson
Releasing on 19 May 2020
✔ diverse own-voices romance
✔ African-American main characters
✔ feminism that evokes a sensitive & creative side in men
✔ comparable to The Bromance Book Club
✔ capture the emotional exchanges in a close-knit community
4. UNTOLD NIGHT AND DAY by Bae Suah [Translator: Deborah Smith]
Releasing on 5 May 2020
✔ translated work by South-Korean woman
✔ middle-class youth struggle & realism
✔ a theater actress turns towards being an escort
✔ surreal, disorienting, dreamy literary fiction
✔ comparable to other translated South-Korean gems like The Vegetarian
5. THE HENNA WARS by Adiba Jaigirdar
Releasing on 12 May 2020
✔ written by a Bangladeshi-Irish woman
✔ Bengali lesbain and Brazilian bisexual as main characters
✔ a cute f/f romance
✔ themes of cultural appropriation & coming out to a South-Asian family
✔ heart-warming sister bond
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Great list! I’m very interested with the premise (and to be honest, that gorgeous cover!) of Parachutes. Also as someone who does crochet, and who has taught some men how to do it, the book Real Men Knit sound right up my alley!
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Great list! I’m so excited to read Real Men Knit and I absolutely adored The Henna Wars 😍 Will have to check out the others because I haven’t heard about them at all!
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