Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Ann Liang

 

“Leah Zhang has spent her whole life in LA - it's all she's ever known. But after accidentally wishing her cousin ill health and a very depressing marriage at her wedding, her parents stage an intervention. She's forgotten most of her Mandarin, has zero regard for etiquette, and can't hold a conversation with her own grandparents for longer than a minute. Their solution? Send her on an intensive two-week travel program across China's most beautiful cities. To them, it's the perfect opportunity for Leah to get back to her roots. To Leah, it's simply a much-needed escape.

But before Leah can even begin to enjoy the luxurious hotels, stunning scenery, and mouth-watering cuisine, she finds that also on the trip is her former classmate and least favorite person cynical, sarcastic Cyrus, who's somehow only gotten more annoyingly handsome since they last saw each other.

While Leah might be tempted to shove him off the peak of the Yellow Mountain when nobody's looking, she can't get rid of him just yet. After all, she might never get another chance to get revenge on the boy who ruined her life.

Yet the deeper they wander into China's provinces, the deeper Leah finds herself falling in love - with the boy she once thought she despised, the home she never thought she'd call her own, and the parts of herself she thought were already lost.” - taken from Goodreads.

When Leah flubs her congratulatory message in Chinese to her cousin on her wedding, her mother has had enough. Deeply embarrassed, her mother enrolled Leah in an immersive cultural experience in China to regain some respect from their family. Unfortunately, the one boy who is the cause of two of the most traumatic experiences in her life, is on the trip as well. She is determined to get back at Cyrus. But what happens when her heart has other plans?

Visit Ann Liang’s website.

Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies by Abigail Hing Wen

 

“Tan Lee finds himself embroiled in an unusual love triangle, all while trying to defuse a heist, unravel a conspiracy, and navigate the most complicated babysitting assignment ever in this YA novel by national bestselling author Abigail Hing Wen.

After a magical kiss at Prom, best friends Tan Lee and Winter Woo agree to cool it off, a plan that goes awry when their parents jointly head off to Hawaii and leave Tan and Winter to babysit Tan's sister Sana together. If that isn't complicated enough, Tan's ex-girlfriend from Shanghai arrives on his doorstep with money stolen from her billionaire father and thugs on her heels.

Tan soon finds himself on the run, trying to out-manuever international hackers and protect his friends, family and sister - and his own heart.” - taken from Goodreads.

Visit Abigail Hing Wen’s website.

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang

 

“Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."

Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate…” - taken from Goodreads.

Sadie Wen is an overachiever, determined to better her life. She is a good girl who is determined not to rock the boat. Sadie has taken out her frustrations with her classmates by responding to what she truly feels in unsent emails that reside unsent in her draft folder. Unfortunately for her, her drafts are mistakenly sent, the majority of them addressed to Julius Gong. Julius is her school rival in everything. When most of the school turns against her, Julius stays by her side. Can enemies become friends and even go beyond?

Visit Ann Liang’s website.

This Time it’s Real by Ann Liang

 

“When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin’s essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine…and a massive secret to keep.

Eliza made her essay up. She’s never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?” - taken from Goodreads.

When Eliza’s made up essay goes viral, her life quickly spirals out of control. In order to save face, Eliza makes a deal with classmate Caz to fake date in exchange for writing his college essays. The problem is that Caz is a popular movie star. What happens when feelings begin to get in the way? And will Eliza be able to keep the charade up?

Visit Ann Liang’s website.

Private Label by Kelly Yang

 

“Serene dreams of making couture dresses even more stunning than her mom’s, but for now she’s an intern at her mom’s fashion label. When her mom receives a sudden diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, all that changes. Serene has to take over her mother’s business overnight, dealing with ruthless investors who do not think a seventeen-year-old can run a fashion empire, while trying to figure out what happened with her dad in Beijing. He left before she was born, and Serene wants to find him, even if it means going against her mom’s one request—never look back.

Lian Chen moved from China to Serene’s mostly white Southern California beach town a year ago. He doesn’t fit in at school, where kids mispronounce his name. His parents don’t care about what he wants to do—comedy—and push him toward going to MIT engineering early. Lian thinks there’s nothing to stick around for, until one day, he starts Chinese Club after school . . . and Serene walks in.

Worlds apart in the high school hierarchy, Serene and Lian soon find refuge in each other, falling in love as they navigate life-changing storms.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a quick read about two Chinese American teenagers who are on opposite ends of the high school hierarchy that soon find themselves being there for one another when Serene desires to learn more about her heritage as they help one another navigate what it means to be themselves in a world where they are seen as different.

Visit Kelly Yang’s website.

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao

 

“Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding Of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.

Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.

While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and their changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?” - taken from Goodreads.

A touching romantic story between two neighbors who are caught in the middle of their feuding fathers. Liya and Kai are childhood friends but things have been weird since she snorted a boba from her tea into her nose, causing her to vomit in front of Kai. Embarrassed, she has kept her distance from him since. Kai has just finally gotten the nerve to ask Liya out on a date when she throws up on the table they share. Devastated, he wants to stay friends even if Liya doesn’t return his feelings. 

When Liya discovers that her family’s shop is in debt, she comes up with a plan to earn some extra money. Kai is more than willing to help her. As the two once again grow closer, will Lyia be able to save her family’s store? What happens when Liya learns Kia asked her out and she didn’t hear him?

Visit Gloria Chao’s website.

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen (Loveboat Taipai book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Loveboat Taipai, Stop! I don’t want to ruin this companion story for you.

“Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh have what some would call a tumultuous past.

Hearts were broken, revenge was plotted—but at least they're friends now. They left the drama behind them back in Taipei—at their summer program, Loveboat—forever.

Now that fall is here, they're focusing on what really matters. Sophie is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Xavier just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy.

But the world doesn’t seem to want either to succeed. Sophie’s college professor thinks her first major project is “too feminine.” Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.

Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together . . . or are they destined to combust?” - taken from Goodreads.

I devoured this book in just two days and enjoyed it so much more than the first installment. The chemistry between Sophie and Xavier was off the charts as they begin to see the hidden parts of one another and discover their strengths. This was a great story about the meaning of family, friends, and following your dreams.

Visit Abigail Hing Wen’s website.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

 

“A story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare.

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into what it was like to be a Chinese American teenager in San Francisco in the mid-1950s. Lily, a high school senior, dreams of going to college and working for the Jet Propulsion Lab, just like her aunt. It wasn't until she gets to know Kath, the other girl in her advanced math class, does Lily begin to question her sexuality.

A lot of world-building, family back story, and historical details make this book extremely slow in the beginning but once Lilly is seen leaving a lesbian bar, the story really picks up. Unfortunately, that was only the last 20% of the story. Not a happily-ever-after ending, but Lilly does remain true to herself 

Visit Malinda Lo’s website.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

“By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I instantly became fascinated with Jo Kuan's story as a young Chinese American living in 1890 Atlanta. Georgia. Not white or colored, Jo really doesn't fit into society, especially since she has the tendency to speak the truth. She and her adoptive father live in secret in the basement of the Bell’s house that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. After overhearing how the Bell’s newspaper is in dire straits and Jo’s home is in jeopardy, she decides to write an advice column for the Bells to draw in new subscribers. Soon Miss Sweeties’ no-nonsense advice is a hit among Atlanta’s society. But when she decides to track down her birth parents, dark and dangerous secrets threaten to be uncovered and Jo must decide to make a choice: hide or to be seen.

Visit Stacey Lee’s website.

 

This is My Brain in Love by I. W. Gregorio

 

“Jocelyn Wu has just three wishes for her junior year: To make it through without dying of boredom, to direct a short film with her BFF Priya Venkatram, and to get at least two months into the year without being compared to or confused with Peggy Chang, the only other Chinese girl in her grade.

Will Domenici has two goals: to find a paying summer internship, and to prove he has what it takes to become an editor on his school paper.

Then Jocelyn's father tells her their family restaurant may be going under, and all wishes are off. Because her dad has the marketing skills of a dumpling, it's up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee, Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century (or, at least, to Facebook).What starts off as a rocky partnership soon grows into something more. But family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart. It will take everything they have and more, to save the family restaurant and their budding romance.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a cute boy meets girl romance until Jocelyn's father stepped in and attempts to put the brakes on her blooming relationship with Will. With the Wu family struggling to keep their family restaurant, A Plus Chinese Garden afloat, Will soon realizes just how much he and Jos have in common, their mental health issues. Written from a #OwnVoices standpoint, Will and Jos's issues aren't glossed over but provide others with Insight on how to get help for themselves. 

Visit I. W. Gregorio’s website.