I never knew that I would enjoy comedy in written form; the art of stand-up has successfully been delivered through an in-person or visual/audio experience, but The Girl Least Likely was a wonderful way to explore that joyful experience on…
‘Jay’s Gay Agenda’ interview: Jason June talks queer joy and sex positivity in his YA debut
Jay’s Gay Agenda bursts with queer joy, which also happens to be author Jason June’s agenda for his debut YA novel. He wants to let queer readers know—or remind them—that they too are “deserving of being the star of their…
‘Dial A for Aunties’ review: Jesse Q. Sutanto’s delightful novel is a love letter to Indo-Chinese culture
Jesse Q. Sutanto’s book Dial A for Aunties is not your average murder mystery novel. If you are looking for your next terrifying whodunnit thriller, then it’s best to continue looking—Dial A for Aunties is not that book. It is,…
‘A Phở Love Story’ review: Loan Le crafts a romance between two teens whose families own rivaling phở restaurants
Loan Le’s debut novel A Phở Love Story is an #ownvoices romantic comedy about two Vietnamese-American teens whose parents own competing phở restaurants. A book about identity and family at its heart, Le’s vibrant and three dimensional characters bring the…
‘Rent a Boyfriend’ review: Gloria Chao puts a unique spin on the ‘fake-relationship-turned-real’ trope
In her second romantic comedy for older YA readers, Gloria Chao takes the favorite trope of the “fake-relationship-turned-real” and adds a unique spin. Gloria Chao draws her influence for Rent a Boyfriend from a real practice in some Asian countries…
‘Charming as a Verb’ review: Ben Philippe’s YA rom-com explores the struggles of being a first-generation college applicant
Charming as a Verb, Ben Philippe’s young adult contemporary novel set in New York City, is the romantic comedy you didn’t know you needed. Which is why I am here to tell you that you do need it. Ben Philippe…
Book Review: Grown-Up Pose by Sonya Lalli
Anusha Desai is starting over. Though she is thirty years old, partially still married, and the mother to an active five-year-old, Anu feels like her life is just beginning. Married in her early twenties to Neil, her first serious boyfriend,…