Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.
Happy Lunar New Year, friends! If you celebrate it, I hope it was fun and restful this weekend. I’ve got a couple books to commemorate it, but first, have y’all heard about TikTok?
The company has basically said the quiet part out loud and admitted that their employees can determine what goes viral. We’ve basically known this for awhile, but having it be made known officially makes looking back at which influencers have become popular on TikTok interesting. This is especially so when you consider which BookTok creators have become popular and what kinds of books they promote. We’ve written about BookTok, of course (here, and here, for instance). What do you think?
As you think on that, and before we get into new books and Lunar New Year books, let’s talk Valentine’s. If you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift for your bookish boo? Gift Tailored Book Recommendations. Your boo will tell our professional booknerds about what they love and what they don’t, what they’re reading goals are, and what they need more of in their bookish life. Then, they sit back while our Bibliologists go to work selecting books just for them. TBR has plans for every budget. Surprise your bookish boo with Tailored Book Recommendations this Valentine’s and visit TBR.
Bookish Goods
Reading Rainbow Inspired Enamel Pin by PinBotShop
Take a look! It’s in a book! *sings off key* Talk about sweet, sweet nostalgia. I loved the Reading Rainbow as a child (LaVar Burton is a national treasure), and was beside myself when I saw this pin. $10
New Releases
The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma
This is a mostly light-hearted picaresque novel that follows 18-year-old Shelly who is born in Yunnan Province to a part of the Zheng family that is seen as…less than desirable, let’s say. Because of the great stories of the United States he’s heard, he travels to the country to make something of himself, but finds that the stories may have been exaggerations. Despite some set backs, his optimistic spirit continues on, and his American dream and hopeful plans for his family reuniting may be possible after all.
The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon (Young Adult)
After 15-year-old Kermit loses his sister in a car accident, he gets a mysterious invitation in his locker. It’s signed anonymously and says “-1.” Soon he learns it belongs to the Minus One Club, a club that rises above the usual rules of high school cliques in order to support its members — all of whom have lost someone close to them. Kermit starts growing closer to another member, Matt — the only boy who’s out gay at the school — and the two develop feelings. But things are complicated.
More New Releases:
The Faraway World by Patricia Engel
The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan (Young Adult)
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Here are Vietnamese and Chinese book recommendations that have both cultures’ respective zodiacs woven into the story.
Daughters of the New Year by E.M. Tran
Former beauty queen Xuan Trung loves to ponder her daughters’ futures according to their zodiacs, but the girls prove to be unpredictable. Trac is successful but hides her sexuality, while Nhi searches for love on a mainly white reality show, and Trieu seeks out their family history. As the story travels backwards in time, from their current lives in New Orleans to the lives of their ancestors in Saigon, we see a family with a history that is both epic and haunting.
Side note: if you’re not familiar, the Chinese and Vietnamese zodiacs are similar, except for two details: the Vietnamese zodiac has a cat instead of a rabbit, and a buffalo instead of an ox. So this is the year of the cat in Vietnam, while it is the year of the rabbit in China.
Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
Olivia is poised to take over her grandmother’s matchmaking service based in traditional Chinese astrology, but then it gets slandered by eligible bachelor Bennett O’Brien. Liv tries to give men a wide berth, romantically, but then Bennett and she make a deal: whoever matches the other up with someone they fall in love with loses and has to let the other’s dating service flourish. Definitely won’t get messy.
A Little Sumn Extra
Tressie McMillan Cottom wins 2023 Gittler Prize (I keep reading this as the “Glitter Prize,” which also tracks)
Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.
Until next time,
Erica