Interview with Gloria Chao – author of Rent a Boyfriend, Our Wayward Fate and American Panda

Last year, I got lucky enough to read an early copy of Rent a Boyfriend. And then immediately fell in love with the story. A fake dating trope that takes the concept of renting boyfriend during holidays to keep nagging parents at bay (that rhymed, lol)? Exciting! And so was the book. So I slid into Gloria’s emails and asked for an interview because, like the curious soul I am, I wanted to know more behind the scenes of writing and the book.

And here is the very fun and AMAZING interview that I had with her. From writing and diverse rep to book and movie recs, I hope you enjoy it!

American Betiya – family, love and culture comes into play in this YA debut – book tour + review

It is very rarely that one gets to see a true desi term in a contemporary book title. When the cover revealed happened for American Betiya last year, I was sold. The theme sounded so good, the cover was stunning and the title was an immediate catch. I’m so grateful for Lonely Pages Book Tours for having me on the blog tour and giving me a chance to read an early copy of this book. American Betiya follows Rani and Oliver’s tumultuous romance as she grapples with identity, culture and what it means to love.

Like Home – a diverse YA debut – review + blog tour + INTL giveaway (US)

I’ve always leaned a little towards the found family / friendship trope in stories, and Like Home called out to me with open arms.

In Like Home, a sudden act of local vandalism suddenly changes the whole neighborhood of Ginger East, while also bringing closer four friends Chinelo, Kate, Raffa and Bo.

Favorite reads from January ’21 and why you should read them too

The new year really started with a bang when it came to my reading, I won’t lie. The books I picked up in January were really so good that I ended up with multiple five star reads – one that made me sob at two am in the morning, another that has me screaming with that climactic ending still, and more sweet reads that I will cherish. Sure, there were a few disappointments but I do not want to focus on them. Instead, on today’s blog post, I’ll be recommending you all my favorite reads from January and tell you why you must read them.

Interview with Akemi Dawn Bowman – author of Starfish, Summer Bird Blue, Harley in the Sky and The Infinity Courts – TIC buzz week celebration

I have always adored Akemi and her books, and being a part of her street team had been nothing short of amazing. I was so lucky to have gotten an early manuscript of her upcoming book to read and fawn upon. Coming on April 16th, The Infinity Courts is her debut YA science fiction and when I tell you it was super, fabulous, amazing and completely blew me away – I mean it.

“Westworld meets Warcross in this high-stakes, incisive, dizzyingly smart sci-fi about a teen girl navigating an afterlife in which she must defeat an AI entity intent on destroying humanity.”

Already sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

So, I sat down with Akemi to talk about The Infinity Courts, science fiction and diversity, writing and so much more. This interview is absolutely spoiler free so read on and enjoy! There’s a little extra something at the end too, so stay haha!

2020 reading wrap up

The year 2020 is definitely one that we all are going to remember in different ways, whether we like it or not. It surely has been one hell of a time, with staying inside for more than nine months, almost a year now.

Songs of Autumn – promotional blog tour + mini book review + giveaway

Hello loves. So today I’m going to talk about a new fantasy series from a new author, Lauren Sevier. Songs of Autumn is the first book and will be releasing on the 21st of November. Before I go about my mini review, let’s get to know what this book is all about!

Monthly Reading Wrap Up – October

Happy November, readers and people of the internet! Gosh, how are we in November already? It seems like only yesterday that we were experiencing Summer, and now its time for winter already. Damn. I do not like this at all.
That said, the month of October was kind of hectic and so exhausting. With the load of college, online classes and numerous assignments, I hardly got time to read. Still, I did manage to read seventeen books – yeah, LOL – and here’s a run-down of all the books I read last month.

Come On In – an anthology of fifteen stories about immigration and home – review + blog tour

When it comes to reviewing and rating an anthology, I always find myself at a fork-road. Especially stories like those in Come On In. I’m not the biggest fan of anthologies, to be honest, there are only a selected few I’ve enjoyed. When I started Come On In, I didn’t really know what to expect – I had only a vague idea about what the book was about and that was it. But reading this book – my heart is full of hope and love. Truly.

Interview with Jahnavi Barua – author of Undertow, Rebirth, Next Door

Hello lovely people of the internet! I have an amazing person over on my blog today. Jahnavi Barua is a the author of the highly acclaimed book Undertow, which was recently longlisted for the JCB prize. We sat down for a fun quick chat about her book, endings and writing, so here we go!