A Tentative Return to the Blog with Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading: Featuring Asian & Asian-American Authors

A return to the blog featuring 10 books I really want to read and 1 I already read but haven’t reviewed yet . . .

Well, here I am again, after far too many things have happened to recap!

I don’t even know where to start . . .

While I may have been radio silence on the blog, I have been studying, working, reading, some writing, and being just as crazy busy as usual. However, I did manage to find time to read some books (reviews to come), do art (might write about that later), and frantically skim Twitter periodically to see what books were coming out/what people were up to. Anyhow, I sacrificed blogging for the last few months, and many other things I enjoy, to dedicate time to studying and work, and came out with my best semester (grade-wise) yet, so I guess it was worth it? *Cue nervous laughter* And then I took a summer class, which just finished, and I’ve been working 4 or so days a week. Finally, I’m currently enrolled in a TEFL (teaching English as a Foreign Language) class because I can’t seem to stop studying for less than a week . . .

All this to say, while I’m still pretty busy, I have had a lot more time to read. I basically just binge-read over the Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day weekend, and I’m hoping to get back to blogging and reading over the rest of the summer. And reviewing the pile of books I read recently . . .*

But while I’ve been drowning in the academic world, a lot of books have come out/been announced or otherwise crossed my radar, so here are 11 books that I am really looking forward to getting my hands on!

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

It even looks like a Kdrama. My heart is happy.

I don’t really read cute books all that often, but this is set in Seoul and I miss Seoul every day. Besides, with Korean folklore and Kdrama vibes, how could I NOT want to read this book ASAP?! Based on the synopsis, we have a gumiho (Korean nine-tailed fox) named Miyoung who hunts the streets of Seoul for evil men to devour their energy, human boy Jihoon getting attacked by a goblin, a star-crossed romance, “murderous forces lurking in the background,” and a feud. And the cover is lovely. As for the author, I follow Kat Cho on Twitter and she is so relatable and funny. Kat Cho is a Korean-American author who loves to read (obviously), and finds a lot of her inspiration for her stories in Kdramas (yes!), as per her website. If you can’t tell, I want to be friends, but I’ll settle for reading Wicked Fox as soon as I can.

Empress of Flames by Mimi Yu

No picture for the sequel because this just came out this year!

I read The Girl King (the previous book) in one sitting, which is a compliment to the Asian-inspired setting and the writing. However, the story itself is pretty generic. I won’t summarize The Girl King here, as I intend to review it, but the genre is YA fantasy and the story centers around sisters Lu and Min and their relationship to themselves and their power(s)/abilities, and a fight for the throne of their kingdom that is (naturally) bigger than they dreamed. As I said, I intend to write a more comprehensive review, but I believed the writing and setting (loaded with references to and inspiration to Asian mythology, culture, and history) to have enough promise to read the sequel. I hope that Empress of Flames takes the interesting points from the ending and strays farther from the mold, and I am intrigued to see where the two sisters end up.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

This cover is gorgeous though!

I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about this book (a lot of people seemed to find it confusing), but I want to read it for myself! The Gilded Wolves is set in 1889 Paris, involves magic and magical artifacts, and HEISTS (which if you have read any of my reviews, you probably know I love heist stories) – so it’s been a must-read for me since I first heard about it. Also, there are the Six of Crows comparisons, and the fact that it is historical fantasy . . . Anyhow, it sounds like a fun summer read, so I’m hoping to get my hands on a copy before I have to go back to class!

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

Historical fiction set in 1939 Penang, Malaysia, The Gift of Rain is the story of two young men and their relationship during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia (Malaya). I confess that I have only the basic knowledge of Malaysia and its history (something I would like to change!), and the fact that this novel was written by a Malaysian author is a big interest point for me. Anyhow, reviewers constantly mention the beauty, humanity, and touching qualities of this novel, and it sounds right up my alley. This is definitely another must-read and I’m going to see if I can snag a copy from the library ASAP.

The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang

These. Covers. Are. Amazing.

First, a disclaimer: I managed to get an ARC of this, so I’ve already read it. So no spoilers! Also, I’m not going to write anything much about it because I intend to write a !Spoiler Free! review of it ASAP. But for anyone who doesn’t know, this is the sequel to The Poppy War, which is a dark, brutal, scorching but so well-written war/fantasy novel inspired by Chinese history. If you haven’t read it, you can read my mini review here. But if you have, all I will say is that The Dragon Republic picks up with Rin and goes places I didn’t expect, but in a way that 100% lives up to The Poppy War, and leaves me eager for a sequel.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

Another lovely cover

The Night Tiger is also set in Malaysia (Malaya), but this time it’s the 1930s and the story is about a Chinese dance hall girl and a house boy and a severed finger (according to the synopsis), combining mystery, Malaysian and Chinese folklore, and history. I spent a lot of time last semester researching the life of Chinese women, and dance hall girls in particular, which brought this book onto my radar. Again, I really hope I can get this before I go back to school.

Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh

I follow Axie Oh on Twitter and she seems smart and funny, and is yet another author I wish was my best friend. *cries to classical music for a moment* But besides that, the synopsis sounds really cool. Rebel Seoul takes place in a post-war “Neo Seoul” and follows ex-gang member Lee Jaewon, a pilot aiming for military glory and success. However, he finds out about a supersoldier project (obviously shady), and gets close to a test subject, and then it apparently all goes to pieces. Rebel Seoul also promises giant robots (a la Pacific Rim), rebellions, moral conflict, and it’s set in a sort of dystopian Seoul. While I didn’t really like Pacific Rim all that much, I liked the idea, so I’m excited to see if this book lives up to my expectations 🙂

The Silence of Bones by June Hur

Okay, this book isn’t coming out until 2020 (it’s tragic), but I want to read it so badly there is no way I could leave it off the list. Korean-Canadian author June Hur is yet another awesome writer I follow on Twitter, and The Silence of Bones is her debut novel about a young woman investigating a murder in 19th century Joseon (Korea). Sixteen and indentured to the police bureau, Seol is tasked with helping an inspector investigate the suspicious death of a noblewoman, but things change when the inspector himself becomes the suspect. Honestly, I would read anything about Joseon Dynasty era Korea (I’m the person who watches dusty history documentaries on YouTube), but a thriller/mystery with a female lead? I am in 100%. I just wish it came out sooner!

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Continuing the parade of beautiful covers

Historical fiction starring a teenage lady’s maid who moonlights as a journalist sounds like a good read, doesn’t it? The Downstairs Girl comes out this August, and I am really excited to read it. Set in 1890s Atlanta, The Downstairs Girl is Jo Kuan, a Chinese American girl who secretly writes the “Dear Miss Sweetie” advice column for “genteel Southern Ladies.” This book sounds like a great read, and I am looking forward to checking it out as soon as it hits shelves.

The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1) by Liu Cixin

Have to dust off my physics knowledge, I guess

This book isn’t new, and Liu Cixin is a wildly popular sci-fi author in China, but it is only recently that Liu’s works have been translated into English. According to the synopsis, the novel begins in 1967, during the Cultural Revolution, with physics professor Ye Zhetai being killed in front of his daughter Wenjie after he refuses to denounce the theory of relativity. Soon after, his daughter is basically blackmailed into working at a defense facility looking for extra-terrestrial intelligence. According to the Publisher’s Weekly Review, The Three-Body Problem does a good job of integrating complex ideas/scientific topics with character development and action. I’ve always wanted to read Liu, and my interest in this particular novel was further piqued due to recently studying Modern China and the Cultural Revolution in some depth. Anyhow, I always want to like sci-fi more than I do, so we will see how I feel once I get a copy. Here’s to hoping!

Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince (Tales of the Magatama #2) by Noriko Ogiwara

The covers just shout classic fantasy

I read the first Tales of the Magatama novel (Dragon Sword and Wind Child) during reading recess (when we’re supposed to be studying for exams, lol) and fell in love with the world and plot (it’s an 80’s Japanese fantasy novel that follows a rogue water maiden torn between choosing between the Dark and Light – which is not straightforward like it sounds – and is full of plot twists and subversive takes on hero fantasy standards). I am *optimistically* planning on reviewing that book in another post, so I will keep going to the sequel, which I haven’t read yet. While Dragon Sword (the first one) wasn’t perfect, it was beautiful and lyrically written, and translated from Japanese by Cathy Hirano, who also translated the Moribito series (which I love) and Marie Kondo’s books. Naturally, she also translated Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince, and I recently placed it on inter-library loan so I could finally read it. Set thousands of years after Dragon Sword, Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince is steeped in mythology and folklore (like the first on), and follows a young boy on his own hero’s adventure. Sure, it sounds like typical hero fantasy, but I like hero fantasy. And I especially love hero fantasy situated from the typical European/European-inspired setting, so I’m pretty excited to read this.

SO – there we go. Have you read any of these books or authors? Do you have any Asian or Asian-American authors I should read? I’d love the recommendations! LMK in the comments 🙂

I just wanna know, know, know . . .

Meet The Seven Sisters of Henpecked Bar & Grill (Character Profiles from my WIP)

You may (or may not?) have noticed that I have been rather absent. The end of March and April (so far) have had me running around like a headless chicken.

Both jobs are getting busier as we careen toward summer traffic, and it leaves little time for blogging, much less thinking. Still, I’ve been plugging away at a read-through/preliminary edit of The Last Coffee Shop, and I still love it, so that’s good. Also, I’ve been getting some more words down and groundwork for my current WIP, Red as Blood.

Red as Blood was also the book I used for the March Beautiful People link-up. In that post (read it here), I introduced the main character and narrator of the story, Sull. He’s a runaway teenage (former)model who ends up in the alley behind the only place to get real fried chicken in the galaxy: The Henpecked Bar & Grill. The Henpecked is run by seven (former) warrior women who decide to give Sull a job in the kitchens, and the rest is, well, the story of Red as Blood. It’s comic space opera meets slice of life diner story meets my generally ridiculous fairy tale retellings saga.

Anyhow, seven important supporting characters = a lot to juggle, so I thought some character profiles could help me hammer out more of their seven distinct personalities. I won’t bore you with lots of facts, but I will give you some basic bits on each “sister” and a picture that suggests what they might look like.

Introducing: The Seven Sisters of Henpecked Bar & Grill

Sister #1: Marjorie Pierce (Doctor Pierce)

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Dame Judi Dench – a major Doc inspiration – taken from this article

Nickname: The Doctor.

Yes, otherwise known as Doc, or just Boss. While she isn’t a Timelord (sadly, a trademark), Doc is indeed, a medical practitioner. Despite her healing tendencies, she’s a vicious warrior in her own right. And you’d have to be a strong personality to have all of the following women submit to your rule (a loving dictatorship). She’s a motherly figure, though she never had any children of her own (though there are rumors of a scandalous, tragic love affair in her youth . . .)

Age: A lady never tells – but she’s north of 40 and south of 60

Occupation: Manager/Owner of Henpecked Bar & Grill

Birthplace: She never talks about it

Height: 127 cm            Weight: You’re joking, right?     Race: Human

Weakness: Orphans of any species

Weapon of Choice: Bola

Likes: Feeding People, Sharpening weapons. Being Needed.

Dislikes: Whining and Complaining. Inefficiency.

Favorite Food: Fried Chicken and Biscuits with Gravy and Strong, Black Coffee – and Chocolate Cake. She’s not a health nut . . .

Marjorie is the first person to meet Sull in the narrative, and she (presumably) takes a shine to the battered, skinny boy with haunted eyes and too pretty of a face. He needs food.

Sister #2: Jian (she has no family name that she speaks of)

This beautiful Yi woman is a lot like what I picture.

Nickname: Dumpling

Jian’s people were shunned and persecuted for hundreds of years after they left their home planet and countries. Most of them barely scraped out livings as cooks and servants for richer survivors. They were known as “dumplings,” a derogatory term that is frowned upon in modern galactic society. Nevertheless, Jian’s wicked sense of humor, beauty, skill with numerous weapons, and excellent cooking skills found her a place as a highly sought after assassin. Of course, that was in her younger days. Now she rules the kitchens of Henpecked, and in a nod to all of the fools people who underestimated her and her people, she calls herself Dumpling.

Age:  46

Occupation: Head Chef, Prime Cook at Henpecked Bar and Grill

Birthplace: The mining colonies of Lai’ren

Height: 140 cm               Weight: 53 kg (ish)                   Race: Human

Weakness: Shiny pots and cooking utensils. Cooking stores.

Weapon of Choice: Her fists for contact. Poison otherwise.

Likes: Cooking. Polishing Silver. Fishing. Filleting . . . things

Dislikes: Sloppy housekeeping. Bullies.

Favorite Food: Spicy Hot Pot. Cinnamon rolls (hers are divine)

Dumpling is the kindest to Sull when they take him in. After all, he needs food, and her cooking is addictive. And while she runs a tight ship of a kitchen, she doesn’t mind helping hands. She’s also the most open of the sisters, easily sharing her skills with a scrappy boy.

Sister #3: General Ayan Stonefist (a last name given to her-not her actual surname)

Afambo afar girl Ethiopia

Photo Credit: Eric Lafforgue

(The General looks a lot like the girl above, just older, and she refuses to wear bright colors)

Nickname: The General.

Don’t be fooled by her small stature. If you refer to her by her real name, she will take you to the alley for your cheekiness. You’ll be lucky if you can walk out again. Due to her past, she never actually introduces herself by her name anyhow, but it’s a fair warning! Other than that she has one of the best tactical minds of the last century, and it’s a mystery why she’s working at an out-of-the-way food joint. Actually, most everything about her is a mystery, and she’d prefer it stay that way.

Age:  early forties (or so the Sisters guess)

Occupation: Assistant Manager of Henpecked Bar & Grill. But that’s just what it says on paper.

Height: 135 cm                  Weight: Unknown                        Race: Human

Weakness: *whispers* Don’t even tell her we asked.

Weapon of Choice: Throwing knives or a good spear

Likes: Order, cleanliness, and quiet. Sharp blades. Maps. Dogs.

Dislikes: Bad manners. Insubordinate people. Disorder. Cats.

Favorite Food: Strawberries (she has a surprising sweet tooth)

Of all of the sisters, Ayan is the most reserved and forbidding. However, she exudes calm and excels at managing diverse and difficult personalities. Sull tries to avoid her as much as possible, yet he admires the way she carries herself – as if she’s twenty feet tall and all corded muscle – anyone in her way will be ten feet under . . .

SISTER #4:Leila-May

I pictured mid-thirties Olivia Newton John from the start. Just look at that charming, innocent (?) grin

Nickname: Shortcake

Leila-May has a sunny personality to go with her bouncy golden curls and big blue eyes. But she seldom talks about her past, and no one ever remembers what happened to her last boyfriend(s) or pets. Despite her talkative, vivacious nature, she’s hard to get to know and she can get away without telling you anything about herself. Still, you can’t help being charmed by her good looks and great smile. Whether this is a good thing or not . . . that’s a chance you’ll have to take.

Age: 38, but she looks around 10 years younger

Occupation: Head Waitress and Hostess

Height: 144.7 cm       Weight: 40.83 kg          Race: Human

Weakness: Good looks, in general. Anything cute.

Weapon of Choice: Charm – and failing that, a garrote vil

Likes: Anything cute, pretty, or attractive. Romantic vacations.

Dislikes: Complainers, demanding people, boring days. 

Favorite Food: If it’s tiny and artfully prepared, she’ll eat anything. She’s particularly partial to gizzards, which surprises almost everyone.

Shortcake loves Sull instantly – she thinks he’s absolutely “precious.” But considering her bad history with pets (she brings them home if they’re cute, and then forgets them . . .), she quickly forgets his existence. However, if you remind her, she’ll gush about how adorable he is. “And such a diligent child, always busy working.”

SISTER #5:Eliza Batbayar

from badassoftheweek.com
Give her a cyborg eye and right arm, make her older,  and yessss, perfect

Nickname: Lizard (or Deadeyed Lizzy)

With a nickname partially derived from her name, and partially derived from the fact that she always looks asleep, Lizard is the watchful bartender of Henpecked. She has robotic parts from a horrific incident in her past, but she’s turned this to her advantage. She still holds the record for the most live bounties taken in Sector 3. Like the rest of the sisters, she rarely talks about her past. However, she makes no secret of her identity as Deadeyed Lizzy (given partly because she has a cyborg eye, and partly because she’s never been known to miss a shot).

Age: 35

Occupation: Bartender, Waitress

Height: 152.4 cm                  Weight: 46.2 kg   Race: Human/Cyborg

Weakness: She’s actually pretty nice, and she’d rather avoid conflict.

Weapon of Choice: Alongside a weaponized arm that can fire various projectiles, she also has a trusty set of pistols that no one is allowed to touch. And she can hit anything with them.

Likes: Mixing drinks, talking to patrons, exchanging capture stories.

Dislikes: Baking. Small talk. False fronts and dishonesty.

Favorite Food: She’ll eat anything, but she’s partial to anything with a lot of vegetables, and she prefers salty to sweet.

Despite her formidable reputation, Lizard is the most open to teaching Sull some self-defense know-how. She’s a hard but fair teacher, and she doesn’t ask questions. Still, Sull never allows himself to forget how dangerous Lizard, or any of the sisters, really are.

SISTER #6: Teral of Min

copyright – DajaBeeSensei – deviantart.com

Imagine something like above ^^, but with long pointed ears, yellow eyes, and navy skin. And redder hair. Also, she has a respirator.

Nickname: Red

Standing just above 4ft tall, Red is the shortest of the sisters. But that doesn’t make her the safest. Red is one of the last of the Minuerans, a race of small, humanoid aliens that are known to be masters of stealth and assassination. Despite her unusually red hair, Red would have lived up to all of that. Unfortunately, she is also allergic to almost everything that grows outside of her homeworld. Red wears a respirator at all times to help her breath the unfamiliar air and avoid reactions. This doesn’t stop her from sneezing constantly. But no one dares to call her sneezy, and for good reason . . .

Age:  Around 30 in human years

Occupation: Waitress, Host, Busser

Height: 124.5 cm     Weight: 31.7 kg  Race: Minueran

Weakness: The environment

Weapon of Choice: Though her sneezing and respirator always herald her arrival, her small size, brute strength, and light feet make her a different kind of danger. She likes to trip her opponents, and then finish them off with the infamous Minueran spiked club.

Likes: Human food, which she is highly allergic to

Dislikes: Flowers, as she is highly allergic to them.

Favorite Food: Biscuits and gravy, which, you guessed it, she’s allergic to.

Red is mostly indifferent to Sull. As far as she’s concerned, he’ll have to earn his keep before he becomes worth noticing. Still, if he wants tips on how to take on a much bigger opponent, she’s a real pro and she likes to talk about it.

SISTER #7: Mollie

I picture her as looking a lot like Morena Baccarin in The Red Tent ^^

Nickname: Mollie IS her nickname

Mollie is the unplanned child of a human and an alien. She was taken in by warrior priests, friends of her father. However, she is artistic and dreams of opening a shop or gallery in a big, fashionable city. Though she is a passable fighter, her heart isn’t in it, and she ran away from her army-school-temple as a teenager. She fell in with The Doctor soon after, and she has followed the older woman ever since. Mollie’s real name- Machlah – was hard for her superiors to pronounce. Mollie stuck, but she’s sore about it (why doesn’t she get a fun nickname)

Age:  23

Occupation: Girl of All Work

Height: 157.5 cm           Weight:  52.6 kg          Race: Half human/half alien

Weakness: Daydreams too much to focus

Weapon of Choice: She prefers to make art, not war, but don’t be fooled: she’s skilled in several martial arts, and those elegant hatchets in her hair . . . they’re fully operational.

Likes: Fashionable clothes and accessories. Art.

Dislikes: Rough culture, bad manners, hard living.

Favorite Food: Pastries

As the youngest, the tallest, and a half-blooded outcast, Mollie immediately sympathizes with Sull. However, he isn’t looking for an annoying surrogate older sister. Still, she’s enamored with the life he left, or what little hints he drops, and she is determined to be his friend. And what Mollie wants, Mollie usually gets.

WHEW – that was a lot of characters. Hopefully you didn’t get lost (if you made it this far!).

What are your impressions of “The Sisters”? Any one that stood out to you? Do you think you’d like to work with them, or is Sull in big trouble?

 

Stars Above (Lunar Chronicles Short Story Collection) Spoiler-Free Review

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like all short story collections, "Stars Above" is a mixed bag. However, seeing as all of the tales are set within the world of The Lunar Chronicles, I enjoyed every one of them. Here's a brief, spoiler-free summary:
"The Keeper"- This story tells Michelle Benoit's story in more depth. It touches on her relationships with both Scarlet and Dr. Tanner, and finishes with how she came to protect Cinder. Well written and plotted, it manages quite a bit of story and character development for its length. 4 stars.

"Glitches"- This story follows Cinder as she joins the Linh family in New Beijing. She's a child, she has no memory of "the other family," and she's a cyborg. Young Cinder and Peony are precious, and I enjoyed reading this part of the story. 4 stars

"The Queen's Army"- Naturally, this is a story about Wolf and how he became an elite member of the Queen's Army. This story has a decidedly different tone from the previous two, and it was one of my favorites. Taken from his parents and genetically modified, Wolf (or Z, as he's known at the time) must deny his gentle nature and become a killer if he wants to survive. 4.5 stars

"Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky"- A cute story about pint-sized Thorne at school. The most interesting thing about this story was that Thorne was from a wealthy background, and how that shaped his character. Otherwise, this one didn't do much for me. 3.5 stars

"After Sunshine Passes By"- Next is a story about Cress as a child, and how she came to be put in a satellite. This one is quite short, and it is basically a reworking of the beginning of Rapunzel in the world of TLC. 3.5 stars

"The Princess and the Guard"- Winter and Jacin are the titular characters in one of the longer stories in the anthology. Basically, this story just explores their childhoods and backstory. Jacin was the character I felt the most distant from in TLC, so it was good to get more of his personality and character. Winter is, as usual, completely charming with a stain of sorrow. 4 stars.

"The Little Android"- A pretty straightforward retelling of "The Little Mermaid," but with an android (Mech6.0). It was a standout in that only Cinder has a brief cameo (as far as the main LC characters go), and we get to see more of the world and everyday people of TLC. Bittersweet and well done. 4.5 stars

"The Mechanic"- I'll admit that I was primed to like this one, since it is the story of Cinder and Kai's meeting from Kai's perspective. It was great fun to get in his head, since he is one of the more impassive/emotionally unavailable characters. As I suspected, he's pretty funny. I would read an entire book with him as the POV character. 4.5 stars

"Something Old, Something New"- Obviously, there is a wedding involved. This story was the sappiest, and definitely had the most corny parts, but it also surprised me with some truly hilarious bits. The mental images of all the male characters decorating for a wedding together was worth the read by itself. It went on a bit long for me, but it also neatly tied up the story and sent the characters into the next stages of their lives. 3.5 stars

Overall: A fun, breezy read with some standout stories, a liberal dose of humor and mayhem, and more of lovable characters. Definitely a must for Lunar Chronicles fans. 4 stars 

View all my reviews