Yellowface: R.F. Kuang Writes a Meta, Mighty, and Merciless Dark Satire

Helen Keller’s memoir is unforgettable for many reasons, but is surprising for her admission of having retold a fable (Birdie and His Friends by Margaret T. Canby) as en eleven-year-old when submitting a short story (The Frost King) for her school magazine. Though, more surprising than this acceptance was Mark Twain’s letter to Keller, where…

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International Women’s Day — 40 SFF Books By Women Of Color To Read This Year

Women’s Day brings a great opportunity to celebrate books by women, especially when one remembers how historic women authors had to use male pseudonyms to protect themselves from censorship, prejudice, and the common misconception of having written something less important than the male authors. Women of color had to deal with additional judgements or an…

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Shelf Seeking — Piano, Prophecy, Police: Eight Books Out This Week

2023 is here with exciting books! And for the very first week of the year, there are some everyone must check out. Whether it’s a translated fiction about music or a thriller set in Mumbai, there’s something for everyone: a rival romance, a gripping historical fiction, exciting debut fantasy novels, and more! Don’t forget to…

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12 New Books Hitting Shelves Today

September is the best time to buy a book because of the cozy atmosphere that is soon rolling in: from the newest release by a Pulitzer-finalist author to a realistic fiction that takes readers to the streets of Calcutta, India; from sequels of loved fantasy books like Once Upon a Broken Heart and Gideon the…

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17 New Books To Look Out For This Week

September is starting with an excellent list of new books to check out: from reimaginings of classics like The Great Gatsby and Frankenstein to young adult fantasy stories centred around deadly tournaments. Anthologies are bringing diverse stories to the front and a loved author like Stephen King has a new thrilling dark fantasy. Read on…

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12 YA Queer Books by Authors of Color To Start Pride Month With

It’s Pride Month and while we must read queer books all throughout the year, June definitely gives us a great reason to find more LGBTQIA+ books! But of course, a lot of the time, there’s an unintentional focus on queer books by white authors and while those stories are certainly valid and worth celebrating, such…

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05 New Mystery & Thriller Books of May 2022

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson(Delacorte Press, May 03) Alice’s five-day disappearance used to be the biggest scandal in Castle Cove—until her ex-boyfriend is accused of murdering his new girlfriend, and Alice must pair up with her tutor to clear his name by using the wisdom of the mystery queen herself. Karen M.…

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An Arrow to the Moon: Emily X.R. Pan Beautifully Blends Love and Lore in This Magical Mix of Romeo & Juliet and Houyi & Chang’e

Retellings have been trending on book lists and for all the right reasons. Whether it’s Chloe Gong’s YA romantic historical fantasy, These Violent Delights, or CB Lee’s fresh exploration of Treasure Island, as part of the “Remixed Classics” series by BIPOC authors, A Clash of Steel. Even reimaginings of Hindu epics like Ramayana (Vaishnavi Patel’s…

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10 New SFF Books of May 2022 To Read

May is truly bringing some of the most anticipated books across the genres, but especially on the shelves of fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction. From a fresh take on Disney’s Brave by the New York Times bestselling author of The Raven Cycle series to an adult debut inspired by Middle Eastern stories and a…

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Twelve Stunning Fantasy Books by Muslim Authors

We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal A thrilling young adult fantasy set in an Arabian-inspired world where a huntress masquerades as a boy and the Prince of Death, the son of an autocratic father, is tasked to kill her. Zafira is determined to brave the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people…

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“The shape of the trauma may be different, but the taste of tears on their tongue is the same”

In August 2021, a feminist fantasy unapologetically took readers on a journey of sisterhood, anger, and resilience. The Wild Ones is a heart-heavy, lyrical, and magical tale that doesn’t shy away from acknowledging and tackling societal flaws, institutionalised wrongs, and trauma. With characters who navigate the myriad meanings of empowerment and vulnerability, the author —whose…

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“An Urdu phrase I loved including was ‘aaj jaane ki zidd na karo,’ which…loosely translates to: today, don’t insist on leaving”

A spoiled princess who fiercely loves her family and people is challenged by circumstances to become more while also being romantically intrigued by someone who’s forbidden—an intriguing ambassador. Pitched as a Pakistani-inspired retelling of The Lady or the Tiger, this fantasy brings forward a stunning culture, fascinating court politics, and an angst-filled love story. Published…

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12 Adult SFF Books of 2022 By Authors of Colour You Can’t Miss

Adult SFF is a label often conveniently associated with only works by white cishet authors but that’s a clear disservice to not only those from marginalised communities who have contributed to diversify the tag, but also to those upcoming books that might otherwise be quickly labelled as young adult for one single reason: they’re written…

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12 Romance Books By Authors Of Color You’ll Love Reading

Valentine’s Day might be anything for you but I like to assume it’s the perfect day to add some romance books by authors of color to my never-ending TBR. After all, picking up a book with romantic themes and obsessing over fictional characters who are finding or fighting their love sounds way more exciting than…

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Book Review: Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her arranged marriage to join an ashram, took a hapless artist for a lover, rebelled against every social expectation of a good Indian woman – all with her young child in tow. Years on, she is an old woman with a fading memory, mixing up her maid’s…

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Book Review: Love Marriage by Monica Ali

Yasmin Ghorami in twenty-six, in training to be a doctor (like her Indian-born father), and engaged to the charismatic, upper-class Joe Sangster, whose formidable mother, Harriet, is a famous feminist. The gulf between families is vast. So, too, is the gulf in sexual experience between Yasmin and Joe.As the wedding day draws near, misunderstandings, infidelities,…

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Book Review: The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers

Twelve-year-old Ellie can’t help that she’s a witch, the most hated member of society. Determined to prove her worth and eschew her heritage, Ellie applies to the Fairy Godmother Academy—her golden ticket to societal acceptance. But Ellie’s dreams are squashed when she receives the dreaded draft letter to serve as a knight of King Arthur’s…

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Cover Reveal: The Man or the Monster by Aamna Qureshi

Today this blog is so excited to reveal the cover of The Man or the Monster by Aamna Qureshi — sequel to The Lady or the Lion, a YA fantasy set in a Pakistan-inspired world full of forbidden love and court intrigue. The title, second in the The Marghazar Trials, will be released on July…

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Book Review: Skinship by Yoon Choi

An exquisite collection from a breathtakingly new voice–centered on a constellation of Korean American families, these stories announce the debut of a master of short fiction.A long-married couple is forced to confront their friend’s painful past when a church revival comes to a nearby town . . . A woman in an arranged marriage struggles…

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The Six Best Books I Read In January 2022

January always brings a new wave of enthusiasm for a reader—you have a chance to leave behind last year’s goals, the disappointing reads, and the sadness of not getting a chance to pick up your most anticipated books the entire year. And while I did read quite a few books in this first month of…

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23 Graphic Novels To Get A Lead on Your Reading Challenge

This might come across as a surprise to you but 2022 has been here for a month now. Yes, yes! I’m shocked; how was January the slowest month that went by too fast? Anyway, February has brought all of us two possibilities: either your yearly reading challenge is right on track or you’re so far…

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Book Review: Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quach

Emergency Contact meets Moxie in this cheeky and searing novel that unpacks just how complicated new love can get…when you fall for your enemy.Eliza Quan is the perfect candidate for editor in chief of her school paper. That is, until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly her vast qualifications mean squat because…

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Book Review: When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord

Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream to become a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super-introverted dad, who after raising Millie alone, doesn’t want to watch her leave home to pursue her dream. Not her pesky and ongoing drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension.…

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Book Review: Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, Tr. Elisabeth Jaquette

Minor Detail begins during the summer of 1949, one year after the war that the Palestinians mourn as the Nakba—the catastrophe that led to the displacement and exile of some 700,000 people—and the Israelis celebrate as the War of Independence. Israeli soldiers murder an encampment of Bedouin in the Negev desert, and among their victims they capture…

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Book Review: If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich

Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining…

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Book Review: House of Glass Hearts by Leila Siddiqui

Maera and her ammi never talk about the Past, a place where they’ve banished their family’s heartache and grief forever. They especially never mention the night Maera’s older brother Asad disappeared from her naana’s house in Karachi ten years ago. But when her grandfather dies and his derelict greenhouse appears in her backyard from thousands…

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Book Review: For All Time by Shanna Miles

Tamar is a musician, a warrior, a survivor. Fayard? He’s a pioneer, a hustler, a hopeless romantic.Together, Tamar and Fayard have lived a thousand lives, seen the world build itself up from nothing only to tear itself down again in civil war. They’ve even watched humanity take to the stars. But in each life one…

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40 Best New Books of February 2022 To Read

February is ready to bring some of the most anticipated books of 2022, from fantasy to contemporary. Debut authors like Laila Sabreen and Vanessa Lenare stepping in with a young adult contemporary and a young adult fantasy respectively; and Amari and the Great Game is a sequel to one very well received middle-grade fantasy of…

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24 Best New Books of January 2022 To Read

January is ready to bring some of the most anticipated books of 2022, from fantasy to contemporary. Debut authors like Akshaya Raman and Sue Lynn Tan are stepping in with an Indian-inspired fantasy and Chinese mythology-inspired fantasy respectively; and some books like Ashes of Gold and Beyond the End of the World are sequels to…

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10 Reasons Why I Love Reading Fiction Books So Much

There is something about reading I love so much that it has become more than just a hobby, more than just a habit I wish to commit to. This post attempts to breakdown what makes reading such an intricate part of my life: ten reasons why I love reading fiction books so much.

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40 Best New Books of July 2021 To Read

July is shining bright with these forty books, from fantasy to mystery. Authors like Anuk Arudpragasm and Jasmine Guillory are returning with shiny new novels and debuts like She Who Became The Sun & The Lady or the Lion have already won many hearts. Pick up one of these July 2021 releases and enjoy them…

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Five New Fantasy Sequels by South Asian Authors

Five 2021 sequels to fantasy books by south asian authors are being anticipated the most. Read more about these titles: The Chariot at Dusk, Aru Shah and the City of Gold, Rising Like a Storm, We Free the Stars, and A War of Swallowed Stars.

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5 Of My Favourite Poetry Collections

I recommend these five poetry collections by authors of colour with all my heart: Fierce Fairytales, Child of the Moon, Circus Folks & Village Freaks, Sisters’ Entrance, and Chameleon Aura.

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