Your Next Read: Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean

ARC provided by the publisher for review What happens when being a crown princess starts to get real? In Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to Emiko Jean's Tokyo Ever After, Izzy Tanaka is settling into her role as crown princess. But the Imperial Household Council and royal watchers are still scrutinizing her every move. And…

ByMichelleMay 31, 20220Comments

Book Reviews

Mark Your Calendar! 21 Upcoming 2022 Releases by Asian Authors

Romance, Women's Fiction, Mysteries and More Hopefully Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month inspired you to read more widely across Asian, Polynesian, and Oceanic perspectives. To keep the party going, here are 21 upcoming releases from Asian authors (not just Americans!) hitting shelves through the end of 2022. We'll feature June and July releases…

ByMichelleMay 26, 20220Comments

Book Reviews

DailyWaffle’s 5 Must Read 2022 Young Adult Books

Lately, there's been a lot discussion (laced with scorn and disdain) about adults who read YA fiction. But for me, reading YA is playing catch up given how few BIPOC main characters there were in my teens. From contemporary K-pop to folklore to fantasy, it's looking like a good year to for YA reads. This…

ByMichelleJanuary 13, 20220Comments

Book Reviews

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean | Book Review

#OWNVOICES REVIEW ARC provided by the publisher for review When a modern fairy tale stars a Japanese American girl and it feels like it was written just for you. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is an absolute delight. I loved it. Izumi (Izzy) Tanaka is just about to graduate high school when…

ByMichelleMay 14, 20210Comments

Book Reviews

Book Review: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley Wow-wow-wow. Angeline Boulley's Firekeeper's Daughter is a fantastic debut. But if you only talk about it as a YA thriller, you’re missing half the book. That’s just the plot. Yes, Daunis is an 18-year old biracial Anishinaabe woman gets who pulled into an FBI investigation into the…

ByMichelleMarch 16, 20210Comments

Book Reviews

Review: A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

ARC provided by the publisher for review Relatable characters, Sweet Romance, Stand Out Vietnamese American Representation At face value, Loan Le's A PHO LOVE STORY is a Romeo & Juliet-esque romance between two teens from rival pho shop families. But really, it's about love of family, community, and the push-pull between immigrant parents and their…

ByMichelleFebruary 9, 20210Comments

Book Reviews

DailyWaffle’s 2021 Must Read YA Books

As promised, here's my list of 2021 Must Read YA Books. I'm featuring six titles here, but of course I'm tracking a longer list over on Bookshop.org. And while it's targeted for a teen audience, as a reader who rarely if ever saw herself represented in YA fiction, I'm devouring and championing these stories every…

ByMichelleJanuary 7, 20210Comments

Book Reviews

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee | Book Review

New Books About the Japanese American Incarceration during World War II Illuminate History with Fresh Perspective from Yonsei Artists and Writers Traci Chee's We Are Not Free is powerful and personal. Immediate, visceral, and so dang good. The YA historical is easily one of the most accessible books I’ve read centered on what our…

ByMichelleSeptember 1, 20200Comments

Book Reviews

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren| 5-star Review

I wrote my initial Goodreads review of Autoboyography, Christina Lauren’s latest, about a month ago. I felt that urgency to capture my first thoughts and reactions after reading the book, giving it a 5-star rating. But I needed the last month to just sort of let it sit with me, because that’s the kind of…

ByMichelleSeptember 7, 20170Comments