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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…

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…

Murder Mystery, Love Triangle, and 1970s Paris — 10 South Asian Books Out In March 2023

March is looking excellent for all the South Asian books releasing this month. There seems to be something for everyone, from fun romance to murder mystery. Rajani LaRocca’s follow up to the Newbery Honor Book, Red, White, and Whole is exciting as it brings twin sisters and music and prose and poetry together. Balli Kaur…

“Writing about grief is supposed to be difficult, but…it was ready to be told. All the love I have for my dad and watching his struggle with cancer, it wanted to be on the page.”

The Tune of Grief: Karen S. Chow, author of Miracle, on writing a young character who loses her beloved father and her ability to play the violin —his favourite instrument.

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…

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…

21 Books Set Against The Backdrop of British Colonisation of India, The Subcontinent’s Independence & The Partition

Books often unravel stories against the backdrop of difficult times, and sometimes the pain truly spills across the pages for the past it’s influenced by. The period of British colonisation was undoubtedly traumatic, leaving the subcontinent bloodied, divided and looted. So while fiction books can never compare to reading and remembering real accounts, they can…

Mihir From ‘Fantasy Book Critic’ Recommends Six Must-Read Fantasy Books That Use Indian Mythology

Mihir, from ‘Fantasy Book Critic’ shares six fantasy novels inspired by Indian mythology and lore that can be a great introduction to the Indian fantasy space for non-desi readers.

“[Kaikeyi] pushes a third wave white feminist, Judeo-Christian agenda on an ancient South Asian society without understanding the nuances and structures within it.”

Inosh K Rukman, elaborates on how Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel doesn’t live up to their expectations, in what aspects, and how such criticism for a highly recommended book (a reimagining of the Hindu epic Ramayana) should also have space to exist.

Maya Prasad Shares The Recipe For Romance: A Charm Spell & Also Recommends Rom-Com Books

Maya Prasad, author of Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things, share what is the perfect recipe for romance, the charm spells romance writers can cast, and rom-com books to check out.

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…

“In the context of exotic vistas, I seek to be a humble merchant of tales, eager to give the world a glimpse of our desi riches”

Gourav Mohanty, the author of Sons of Darkness, on writing a story set in re-imagined Vedic India, the last unexplored genre of Indian literature, and inspiration behind this debut grimdark fantasy.

“There have definitely been ups and downs, but I always remind myself that first and foremost, [writing] has to bring me joy in order to keep doing it”

Romi Moondi, the author of 24 Hours in Paris, on her journey to being published and what inspires her to write strong women leads — a South Asian slant on the rom-com.

Bright Ruined Things: Samantha Cohoe Creates An Average Magical 1920s Fantasy that Features Spirits, Secrets, and a Determined Heroine

It’s no surprise that young adult characters are sometimes judged from a mature, experienced lens for decisions that are very much based on their ‘young’ age. So I always set a reminder for myself while reading YA books: don’t judge the protagonist too much for their choices and simply comment on them from the story’s…

Every Variable of Us: Charles A. Bush Lets Young Characters Be Messy and Flawed While Exploring Individual Queer Journeys

We’ve often come across opinions about adult readers being a target audience for young adult books or not. Of course, the demographic is meant for the young readers but with the growing space for more YA books, a lot of stories might read like it’s meant for those who were teenagers. While all sorts of…

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…

The Wonders: Elena Medel Boldly Interprets Class Hardships & Trauma Through the Lives of Three Spanish Women

This debut novel in English by the Spanish poet feels like a collection of short stories that weave back and forth through time. Attempting to bypass and often unknowingly giving in to intergenerational trauma, two working-class women try creating lives of their own for freedom from patriarchal constrictions, financial hardships, and everlasting grief, while these…

110 Fiction Books by Asian & Pacific Islander Authors

This reading list is a tiny attempt at recommending works by authors of the Asian diaspora and Pacific Islander authors in its true sense. Here are such 110 recent, new, and upcoming books for Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Iron Widow: Xiran Jay Zhao Crafts An Intimidating & Unapologetic Science Fiction Full of Feminist Rage

While picking up a feminist SFF, some might expect the men in these stories to find an independent place for themselves within these fictional worlds. Because that’s true feminism for many, right? We can’t have a heroine who drives the male protagonists’ arc by herself, with her strength, on her power. Of course, this isn’t…

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.…

Can’t Resist Her: Kianna Alexander Lets the Characters Shine Individually in This Sapphic Romance

There’s something to be said about readers often and rightly complaining about the lack of stories featuring Black characters that don’t revolve around racism, but not supporting tales that actually centre Black love and their families, heritage, and inner conflicts. Can’t Resist Her quickly unravels a second-chance romance with excellent steamy scenes, great potential for…

A River Enchanted: Rebecca Ross Explores Music, Myths, and the Meaning of Home in This Scottish-Inspired Fantasy

Some books really force you to decide what you like more: a fast-paced plot or a slowly-evolving character arc. A River Enchanted gives you enough reasons to go with the latter. Fantasy books, especially when not in the the young adult demographic, are often expected to let a complex plot, an extensively built world, and…

Mini Reviews — A Middle Grade Fantasy Explores Grief, A Political Dystopian Intrigues, And A Paranormal Romance Entertains

Furthermoor by Darren Simpson Bren is still grieving the tragic loss of his sister Evie and has numbed himself while going through the daily routines of home and school. Simultaneously, the school bully, Shaun, preys on the saddened Bren while also marking down a new kid. Bren is happy he at least has an imaginary…

Sofi and the Bone Song: Adrienne Tooley Hits the Right Notes in This Magical & Musical Fantasy of Self-Discovery and Deception

The myth of the tortured artist has turned real for many creatives all through past and present, like Vincent van Gogh who battled mental illness and secured his spot as the suffering artist when he chopped off his ear with a razor blade. But at the core of a creative world, the idea of suffering…

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…

Four Treasures of the Sky: Jenny Tinghui Zhang Unravels A Tragic Story of Reclamation in This Debut

It’s often interesting to see what motivated an author to craft a particular story. Especially when the push to create something powerful comes from empathy for the powerless. Like Sabaa Tahir who says her own experience of growing up as a kid who didn’t fit in and then reading about various stories of some absolutely…

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…

A Magic Steeped in Poison: Judy I. Lin Brews Loyalty & Treachery in Beautiful Cups of Aromatic Magic

Blending threads of mythology with courageous heroines and hints of romance against a mysterious fantastical backdrop inspired by folklore has recently found a huge space on bookshelves, and deservedly so. Whether it’s the recent YA fantasy, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh that retells a Korean folktale or the recent adult…

Asian Heritage Month — 12 Middle Grade Books By South Asian Authors

May is all about Asian books! Here are twelve recent South Asian middle grade books for all readers.

10 Diverse Picture Books Celebrating The Love Of Mothers

On Mother’s Day, here are ten diverse picture books for kids to see themselves, their mothers, and the love between them on beautifully illustrated pages.

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…

Salma Hussain Recommends Twelve Canadian Writers Creating Stories Around Muslim Characters

Salma Hussain, author of The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan (May 2022), recommends twelve books with Muslim characters written by Canadian authors.

“If dark academia is meant to be about the darkness of academia…what is darker than structural or institutional racism?”

Q/A with Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, author of Ace of Spades (2021) on her debut thriller featuring Black queer teens and crafting a YA fiction with social themes like institutional racism.

“It has been a pleasure to craft…an embrace of warmth and acceptance around a young brown girl”

Q/A with Karuna Riazi —author of The Gauntlet (2017) and A Bit of Earth (2023)— on her upcoming contemporary retelling, crafting middle-grade stories, and writing a biracial character.

“I hope that young queer Muslim readers understand that you’re perfect just the way you feel”

Q/A with Naz Kutub on his upcoming debut novel (The Loophole, 2022), portraying tough themes in the midst of heart and humour, and writing a young queer Muslim protagonist.

“As an adult they seem incongruous, but as children we knew seemingly opposite things can co-exist…as long as we made the space”

Nina Hamza, the author of Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year, on the power of ‘and’ when crafting a middle-grade coming-of-age story about identity.

“Both [my] characters soon come to realise that, like everything that ascends, they must come down eventually where their problems still remain”

Aneesa Marufu, the author of The Balloon Thief, writes a guest post on how feelings of prejudice and unbelonging drove this debut fantasy.

“As a writer, I believe it’s extremely important to try and create, as much as possible, diverse stories about a community”

In January 2019, a mix of humour, heart, and high-stakes drama provided a timely and honest portrait of what it’s like to grow up feeling unwelcome in your own culture. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali showed a young Muslim queer fighting for love, fighting for family, and fighting for herself. Through the prism…

“I wanted a brown kid at the center, the protagonist of her own life, abolishing the misconstructions society has of Desis and Muslims”

In July 2022, a debut novel set in rural Pakistan and centred around a young Muslim girl will whisk away readers into a magical palace in the jinn world. In this mysterious world, a rich heritage and the chilling reality of child labour will be shown. And Nura is a protagonist everyone would cheer for…

“I wanted to explore Aafiyah’s denial, acceptance, and guilt…but also show that she is much more than a bad habit”

Q/A with Reem Faruqi, author of Golden Girl & Unsettled, on her middle-grade novels-in-verse, compassionate stories about young Muslim girls, and poetic finesse with a focus on family.

“Faith is not a static thing; it may ebb and flow, and I attempted to illustrate the same fluctuations”

In January 2022, a romantic tale took readers on a heartfelt journey of faith, family, and love. Salaam, With Love captures the feeling of being different, of not fitting in, while also exploring one’s relationship with their cultural and religious heritage. And of course, it’s about first love. Set in New York, this comforting and…

“I honestly don’t think it’s possible for me to write a story that doesn’t have a healthy dose of family drama”

A young Muslim girl joins a boy band at her new middle school to fit in while navigating faith, family, and friendships. Pitched as Julie and the Phantoms meets Amina’s Voice, this middle-grade story is sweet, powerful, and joyous. Published in October 2021, Barakah Beats takes readers on a journey where love for music and…

“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…

“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…

“It was incredibly cathartic for me to portray the spiritual struggles of my protagonists”

In March 2021, a fantasy set in a colonised Indo-Persian world and inspired by pre-Islamic Arabian mythology was published. The Descent of the Drowned is a dark, immersive, and powerful debut that also has undertones of the political and sociocultural issues of the region. But it’s biggest asset is characterisation. The morally ambiguous protagonists make…

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…

“Every time someone connects with Michie I feel like I’ve given a voice to this thing that no one really talks about”

Sixteen-year-old Michie lives with her grandmother and hopes to get into her dream college, but the scholarship essay is a difficult one to write, especially when she shares a complicated relationship with her mother. Derek is the new kid at this high school and very much interested in Michie. Both are absolute sweethearts and the…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

Blackathon TBR — For Team SFF, Four Books by Black Authors I’ll Be Reading This February

Blackathon is an annual readathon to celebrate literature by Black voices. While Black authors should be supported and their works read all year round, February does give everyone an opportunity to turn a purposeful focus on Black literature and this readathon sets up a fun structure to do so. Four teams, three prompts, and one…

Mini Reviews — Two Middle-Grade Books, Two Contemporary Romances, And A Translated Fiction

A Mystery at Lili Villa by Arathi Menon Enid Blyton’s Five Find-Outers meets Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew in this small-town mystery set against the beautiful backdrop of Kerala, India. For a desi kid, summer vacations are more than school holidays: they’re the perfect time for meeting up with distant family, delicious food, running wild while the elders napped in…

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…

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…

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…

Weekly Reading Check-In — A New Favorite I Found, One Big Disappointment, and Three Romances I’m Reading

February is here! I had some big reading goals set up for January but sadly, the pandemic reached my house and I had to keep everything on the backburner to focus on my health. Now I’m definitely more enthusiastic for this month, having come back from a long break, ready to tackle my TBR. If…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Book Review: Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan

Jade Fire Gold is a debut young adult fantasy that borrows xianxia elements and is inspired by Chinese mythology. Published by HarperTeen in September 2021!

Pondathon II TBR — 40 Fantasy Books I Hope To Read This Year

Read books. Collect plants. Decorate a garden. Sounds simple and exciting! And now I have forty fantasy books I hope to read in 2022. Check out what backlist fantasy titles I’ve decided to read this year, and leave a little ‘good luck’ in the comments.

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…

Book Review: Kololo Hill by Neema Shah

Kololo Hill is a historical fiction featuring Ugandan Indians who traverse the horrors and hope of home. Released in 2021 by Picador Books UK!

30 More South Asian Books To Read in 2021

In addition to the list of 84 books by South Asian authors that was curated earlier this year on the blog, here are 30 more such 2021 titles by desi authors that you can add to your shelf.

Book Review: Sway With Me by Syed M. Masood

Sway With Me is a coming-of-age YA romantic comedy featuring Muslim Pakistani-American characters. Released in 2021 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers!

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…

Book Review: It All Comes Back To You by Farah Naz Rishi

It All Comes Back to You is a coming-of-age YA romantic drama featuring Muslim Pakistani-American characters. Released in 2021 by Quill Tree Books!

Book Review: The Archer by Shruti Swamy

The Archer is a coming-of-age novel set in 1960-70s Bombay and told through a protagonist who loves kathak. Released in 2021 by Algonquin Books!

Writing Log 01 — Wondering How to Track Progress While Outlining

For Camp NaNoWriMo, I set a goal for this month of July: write a detailed outline for #KaliYugWIP —a Hindu eschatology based dark adult fantasy set in ancient northwestern India. That is exactly when I realised what my attention-deficit brain needed: a way to track this outlining process.

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.

Ten Books I Recently Read & My Thoughts On Them — Vol. 01

Thoughts on my recent reads: A Pho Love Story, The Scapegoat, Jay’s Gay Agenda, An Emotion of Great Delight, Pashmina, We Are Totally Normal, and others!

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…