Well, this is going to be loads of fun, I just know it! And to choose only 5?! Ahhhhh! Let’s get to it!
Flame in the Mist was such a pleasant surprise for me, especially since I didn’t care much for Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn duology. I absolutely loved the setting (feudal Japan), and I’m really excited to see where Ahdieh will take this story. I’m thrilled about the magic, the romance, and just the things that feel similar yet different to part of my own culture.
The Star-Touched Queen duology by Roshani Chokshi || You know, I really wish I loved A Crown of Wishes more, and maybe I need to read this series back to back. Regardless, Chokshi’s writing is beautifully poetic, and I loved diving into this mystical world filled with magic and mayhem.
Please do yourself a favor and read any book by Adichie. I absolutely fell in love with the coming of age story in Purple Hibiscus and then soon devoured Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah (which is set in America and England, so I left it out).
I read this book a few years ago. It’s a translated novel by a prominent author in South Korea, and while it isn’t YA, I picked it up on a whim while at the library. I’m glad I did. This book is hard, and sometimes I felt both like the outsider looking in but also a participant. Please Look After Mom is set in South Korea and tells the story of a daughter, son, and husband after the disappearance of the mother and wife. It’s poignant and an interesting look into the Korean culture.
(And yes, I know this is set in Westernized South Korea, but the fact that it takes place in South fits the bill.
