Ravenous Things (2022) Derrick Chow "You could not pry this creepy little book out of my hands it was so good!! I had to finish it in one sitting. Parts of this book actually had me shrieking out loud. Horrifying and beautiful, this is an absolute masterpiece!"
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (2022) Axie Oh "Shim Cheong is Korea's most famous legend and one I've heard all my life, but as a feminist it has always been my least favorite. Axie's book retells the fairy tale and empowers the girl protagonist while still preserving the beloved classic tale, set in a fantastical world so unique and fascinating. I absolutely loved every word!"
All the Right Reasons (2022) Bethany Mangle "Never have I rooted so hard for such a wonderful mother and daughter relationship! Julia and Cara are absolutely adorable and real and I love them so much! This is one of the cutest, funnest, and most delightful YA's I've read in a long time!"
The Forest of Stolen Girls (2021) June Hur "A brilliant historical fiction mystery that is suspenseful, gorgeous and absolutely riveting! Hur brings Jeju Island during the early Joseon period completely to life in a rich, evocative manner that reminds me of watching my favorite historical Kdrama. ... I adored this book from start to finish!"
The Comeback (2021) E L Shen "I soared through the prose and the story, loving every minute of Maxine's journey as a competitive ice skater."
Star Daughter (2020) Shveta Thakrar "Absolutely magical. Thakrar weaves her words so tightly around you that you are completely immersed in her world, a victim of its lyrical starsong."
This Is My Brain in Love (2020) I W Gregorio "If there's only one book you read this year, please let it be This is Your Brain in Love! Everyone needs to read this beautiful and important book not only because it manages to be both laugh-out-loud funny and grab-a-tissue moving, but it's a novel that can open eyes, change minds, and hopefully change lives. Gregorio's writing made my heart hurt even as I was falling in love with Jocelyn and Will, two characters as complex and real as you'll ever meet on a page."
Dragon Pearl (2019) (Thousand Worlds , book 1) Yoon Ha Lee "Who would have thought Korean mythology would make for such an intense and magical space opera! I loved every moment of it and want the next book NOW so I can explore all the Thousand Worlds with Min! This book is brilliant and gorgeous, and why didn't I have it when I was a kid."
Girls of Paper and Fire (2018) (Girls of Paper and Fire, book 1) Natasha Ngan "This gorgeous book is everything I want in a fantasy. Beautiful, lush, lyrical with fantastic world building and an epic forbidden romance, I devoured every word and was left desperately wanting more."
Shadow Of The Fox (2018) (Shadow Of The Fox, book 1) Julie Kagawa "Shadow of the Fox has just become one of my all time favorite fantasy novels! I'm in love with this book, its characters, its worldbuilding! Oni, giant centipedes, flesh eating ghosts, and terrifying half women/half spider things that will give me nightmares for weeks to come, this book is filled with terrifying Asian mythological creatures that make Medusa look like a mean grandma with a bad wig. Not to mention a lovable kitsune, a sexy demonslayer, and quite a few side characters that are larger than life and have completely wormed their way into my heart. I'm so invested in their lives and their quest and I cannot wait for the next installment of my new favorite series. In the meantime, I plan to re-read Shadow of the Fox again and again until I can be reunited with Yumeko and Tatsumi soon. So dear Julie, please write faster!"
For a Muse of Fire (2018) (Shadow Players, book 1) Heidi Heilig "Intensely original, creatively complex—Heilig’s fantastical world is a place like nothing I’ve seen before, and one I am desperate to revisit immediately! I was captivated by Jetta from the start, and I was left stunned and bereft by the end, cursing Heilig for leaving me wanting more. Do not miss this emotionally beautiful fantasy about a complex girl you can’t help but come to love."
