1. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
First of all, I felt that the summaries I read before starting this book didn’t capture it at all/explain what it’s actually about. This book was a wonderful mix of magical realism and more serious topics. The book deals with racism, prejudice, and family secrets. The central mystery was compelling. A Song Below Water features strong female friendship and explores themes of identity and justice. I love how the author incorporated mythical creatures into the book so subtly. It felt whimsical while still dealing with some heavy topics. I highly recommend it!
2. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
I love Elizabeth Acevedo’s work, and I cannot wait to read her latest work. The novel is written in verse and is from dual POVs. It follows two half-sisters who discover each other after their father is killed in a tragic plane crash. The two sisters live apart, one in the Dominican Republic and the other in New York City. Acevedo deals with emotion beautifully in her other work, and this one will surely be just as powerful. I’ve heard amazing things about it so far! I plan to listen to the audiobook, and the author is one of the narrators! I love hearing writer’s work in their own voices.
3. Parachutes by Kelly Yang
Parachutes is a novel about an Asian exchange student from Shanghai studying in California. It’s written from two perspectives, the other of which is her host sister. There’s romance, tension, and some difficult experiences. I first heard about this book when I saw the author speak at BookConline in May 2020. The book immediately caught my attention and I’m very excited to read it. I’ve been meaning to since May but sometimes TBRs get mixed up.
4. 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon
So this is *technically* the third in a series, it can reasonably be read as a standalone. The first book in the series is When Dimple Met Rishi, which I liked. I LOVED the second one, There’s Something About Sweetie. I can’t even express how excited I am for this one. It’s a summer romance, so this is the perfect time to read it. It also has fake dating in it which is one of my favorite romance tropes. I already got to know Pinky and her love interest a little bit in There’s Something About Sweetie, so I would recommend reading the other two first. You (and I) need to read this right away!
5. This is My America by Kim Johnson
This is My America was just released on July 28th, 2020. It’s very timely and explores the topic of racial injustice in the US criminal justice system. Having just read The New Jim Crow, I feel like this is the perfect time for me to read this. I’ve seen so many people posting about it on social media and the gorgeous cover immediately caught my eye. It has great reviews so far, with a rating of 4.66 on Goodreads. It’s about a 17 year old girl, Tracy Beaumont, who is trying to get help her father, who is on death row for a crime he did not commit. When her brother is accused of killing a white girl, Tracy decides to find out what really happened. I really enjoy books with strong, self-determined protagonists, and this book seems like it will deliver. I can’t wait to read this one!
6. All of Us with Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil
Xochi, a Mexican-American girl who is running from her past becomes a governess in San Francisco for a family of rock stars. During a wild house party, she and her 12 year old charge accidentally summon ancient creatures determined to seek revenge on those who wronged Xochi. You can see how things would get very complicated from there! I just put this one on my TBR. It reminds me a little of A Song Below Water, so we’ll see if that ends up being the case. Either way, it sounds amazing.
7. The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
This book follows Audre, who is being sent from her home in Trinidad to Minnesota with her Grandmother. She meets Mabel, who is worried about her health. This is the lesbian romance you definitely need in your life, though it does deal with some difficult topics. The novel explores the girls’ relationship and how they rely on one another. It’s dual POV and the prose is described as “lyrical,” which is always a win for me! I am beyond excited to pick up this debut from Junauda Petrus.
8. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
I absolutely adored this queer contemporary romance! Like many of the books above, it did involve some more serious parts–such as the main character’s brother being sick, and racism and homophobia at her school. However, I felt the book was stronger for addressing these topics. The protagonist, Liz, plans to go to her dream school where she will play in their orchestra and study to become a doctor. However, when the scholarship she was counting on fell through, she’s not sure what to do. Her brother pushes her to run for prom queen, as it has a sizable scholarship for the winner. The book addressed how friendships can be complicated, which I appreciated, as you don’t always see that in books. Many characters made mistakes but they grew from them over the course of the story. I was a huge fan of this book!
9. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
This fantasy book–the first in a series!–is inspired by West African folklore and features dual perspectives. The two protagonists are on a course to kill each other–unbeknownst to the other. With political intrigue, family loyalty, and enemies-to-lovers romance, this is the fantasy I absolutely need. Political intrigue is the best! And we need more African-inspired fantasies–there are far too many Eurocentric ones. I might not read this one right away, as my TBR is full of contemporaries, but I’ll probably read it in the fall. I like reading different genres in different seasons–summer is dominated by contemporaries and romance, while the colder months are filled with fantasy and sci fi. Obviously it’s not a hard and fast rule, but I don’t think I’m alone in this. I look forward to hearing others’ reviews of this one!
10. I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
I’ll be the One is a novel about Skye Shin, a plus-sized girl competing to be a K-Pop star. Filled with competition, romance, and drama, it deals with issues of fat-phobia. Who doesn’t want to read a body-positive book about K-Pop?! The cover is gorgeous too, bright and colorful covers are the best! I can’t wait to read this one; it sounds like the perfect summer read.
While this list isn’t comprehensive and is contemporary-romance heavy, I hope everyone can find a book they enjoy from it! A lot of the books are YA debuts as well. For those that are not (Sandhya Menon and Elizabeth Acevedo) you should definitely check out their other books.
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