A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

My rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: YA Anthology

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Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. As an Asian American, I love seeing this celebration of Asian cultures and, in a many of the stories, a depiction of what it means to be part of the Asian diaspora. I started this almost a year ago, and I am so happy I finally had the time to finish it. As this is a short story collection with very different authors, I will talk about each of the stories separately. I do think the strongest stories leaned into the legend/mythology inspiration as I also think that the cadence of folktales and myths lend itself to the short story format, but some of the modern retellings were very creative and fun to read. I also really appreciated the explanations at the end of each story about the folktales they come from. I feel like it gave me a greater appreciation of the stories themselves, and I learned a little about the different cultures. Finally I wish there was some more representation from South East Asian Cultures and minority groups within larger places like China, but hopefully we’ll get more stories celebrating those cultures.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

My rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: YA Fantasy

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“A strange sensation rushes through me surging through my veins, trapping the breath in my chest. With it, warmth buzzes under my skin. A death… A spirit. Magic. I put the pieces together. My magic.“

I’m on a roll! This is the second great book I have read in a row. Children of Blood and Bone was one of my most anticipated books this year, and it did not disappoint! Also the cover is gorgeous!

This YA high fantasy is set in an alternate Africa that does female representation and high fantasy right. Although the plot seems familiar, a quest to bring back magic in a kingdom where magic disappeared, it’s the dynamic characters and fleshed out world and culture that make this book stand out.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

My rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Romance

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This is STEAMY! I got so into this book I didn’t even take notes to write a proper review and stayed up all night even though I had work the next day.

To be clear, I usually am not a romance fan. I don’t mind romance, but I hate how boring and predictable the genre can be. I also really hate how freaking WHITE it is. If you find me adult romances with Asian or Black leads, I will first be shocked, and then I will be thrilled. Finally, I hate how sexist the romance genre is. It’s full of women hating women and men only wanting “pure” women and slut shaming and women having to put up with horrible men when it’s supposed to be “romantic”. This book had none of that.

This book is about Stella, a sucessful economist. She loves her job and her life, but her mother keeps pressuring her to find a boyfriend. The only problem is that she is autistic, what used to be classified as Aspergers, and hates when people touch her without permission and french kisses. She hires Michael, a male escort, to teach her how to have sex. Michael also happens to be half Vietnamese and look like Daniel Henney, super hot K-drama star, *swoon*. Of course, they fall in love.

OK, the plot is a little predictable, but the writing and the story are just so good.

Everless by Sara Holland

My rating: ★★★1/2☆

Genre: YA Fantasy

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“The old woman sits framed by the light of the window, looking out over Everless’s snow-covered lawn—she’s tall, elegant, but bloodless somehow. Her skin is dull and thin with age, and her hair long, once black and now white as bone. Her eyes are the color of weak and watery tea.”

Although from the synopsis this story seems to begin like many other YA books in the fantasy genre, the ending makes up for a slower beginning. Set in a land where the saying “time is money” is literally true, it slowly builds a world and mythology, which truly sets it apart. I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book, and I found myself pulling an all-nighter to finish it, which speaks to how good the ending was!

Warcross by Marie Lu

My rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

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Fun fact: I’ve had this review written since this past fall, but I forgot to post it, so here it is!

“Some people still say that Warcross is just a stupid game. Others say it’s a revolution. But for me and millions of other, it’s the only foolproof way to forget our troubles.”

This was so much fun to read, which is why it got such a high rating. The plot is fast paced and clever. The world is unique and the inclusion of Asian characters and it’s setting in Tokyo helped it stand out from other YA. I did have some issues with the writing style, though, and there are many cliche’s present in terms of the love interest, chosen one troupe, Emika’s tattoo/life philosophy, and her manic artistic father.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

My rating: ★★★1/2☆

“Sonny, don’t you tell me what’s worth while—true love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops. Everybody knows that.”

The meta framing of this book is clearly the highlight. There are so many self aware and satirical moments that were done really well, which is why it gets such a high rating. That said, I don’t think I actually enjoyed the actually story that much. Cliché fantasy tropes are used to make a point but didn’t actually make for a super enjoyable story. I finished it, though, which means it was still fairly interesting.