The past year has been a difficult year. My dad was diagnosed with cancer at the end of summer 2021. Since then, he’s had various health complications, and it’s been difficult to find the words to say—both to speak up about what’s happening and to talk about the stories that I love. So, my initial hiatus beginning in July 2021 turned into a semi-permanent one. But I did read some amazing books that I want to share.
First in a Series
Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology #1) by Sue Lynn Tan
Xingyin, the secret daughter of the exiled Moon Goddess, flees her home after her magic is discovered. Alone in the Celestial Kingdom, she seizes an opportunity to study alongside the emperor’s son—and embarks on a perilous quest to free her mother. Daughter of the Moon Goddess blends the lush storytelling of Xianxia literature with Chinese mythology to tell a coming-of-age story about family and honor, duty and love, legends and the real people behind them. DotMG has crossover Adult / YA appeal.
Jade City (The Green Bone Saga #1) by Fonda Lee
The Kaul family is a prominent crime syndicate that controls major territory on the island of Kekon, which produces rare magical jade that grants superhuman abilities to those with the right training and heritage. Once warriors that protected the island from foreign invasion, Green Bones now involve themselves with commerce and politics and protecting their people, until the simmering tension between the Kauls and their rivals erupts into open violence. From the first paragraph, Fonda Lee brings to life the very air of Kekon—I felt like I was in the Twice Lucky with the would-be jade thieves! From there, she spins a tension-packed narrative that kept me turning the pages late into the night. Read Jade City for the lush world building, for the epic fight scenes, for the scheming and backstabbing and subterfuge, and for the family drama. The good news is that all three books are out, so you can read them back-to-back!
Standalone Fantasy
Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R. F. Kuang
In a world where silver and foreign languages power the magic that serves British imperial expansion, Robin Swift, an orphaned Chinese boy, is brought to England to study at Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation. But he quickly learns that his studies inevitably mean betraying his motherland. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide where he stands and what he’s willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down. Babel gives voice to the anger at the injustice surrounding the treatment of women and BIPOC in academia (much of which continues today), and it leaves the reader to wrestle with the question of what will it take to bring about effective change?
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
In this magical retelling of The Great Gatsby, Jordan Baker—who’s queer, adopted, and Vietnamese —supplants Nick as the narrator. Through her, Vo explores the consequences of loneliness, and the longing for an unattainable someone or something, in the lives of the historically marginalized (i.e., women, people of color, and queer people). But in the end, Vo’s Jordan reaches a different outcome than Fitzgerald’s Nick, leaving readers with hope.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
When Miryem boasts that she can turn silver into gold, she draws the attention of the Staryk king (think terrifying ice fey), and her story becomes intertwined with a peasant girl and the unhappy daughter of a local lord. Spinning Silver is about ambitious young women seizing power in a patriarchal society that views them as brides, chattel, and pawns in their fathers’ bids for power. Their stories touch on societal injustice, particularly against women and Jews. There is also magic, romance, and girl-boss power.
Young Adult & Middle Grade
Blaine For the Win by Robbie Couch
On their one-year anniversary, Blaine’s boyfriend breaks up with him to date a Serious Guy (as in, someone who’s not goofy). Determined to prove that he’s also a Serious Guy, Blaine decides to run for senior student council president. Blaine For the Win explores the complexities and messiness of everyday life, from the wellness struggles of teen life, to the pressure to succeed and fit in, to the coming-of-age journey to finding the Serious Person inside each of us. Plus, Blaine is surrounded by a diverse cast of loving, supportive friends and family (who also tell him when he steers off course).
Terrier (Beka Cooper Trilogy #1) by Tamora Pierce
Beka Cooper, a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost’s Guard, begins work in the Lower City. It’s a tough beat; but she was born there, she knows the people, and she wants to protect them. But her magical gift for listening to the dead alerts her to someone who is terrorizing the Lower City inhabitants—and killing them. The Beka Cooper trilogy is a genre mashup of fantasy x crime, told as a series of first-person journal entries. Each book focuses on one major crime that Beka must solve, so they stand alone nicely (though you will want to read them in order!). The whole trilogy is fantastic, with the stakes getting higher with each book.
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor (Zachary Ying #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao
When the First Emperor of China possesses Zack’s AR gaming headset, Zack is drawn into a vital mission to seal the portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it open—and he loses his mom forever. His journey takes him from the U.S. to China, where he must heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth. (So you get to learn some facts about Chinese history!) Recommended for fans of Percy Jackson and Yu-Gi-Oh!
Comics / Graphic Novels
The Sandman #1–10 by Neil Gaiman
An occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life instead traps her younger brother Dream, also known as Morpheus. After seventy years, Morpheus escapes and goes on a quest for his lost (read: stolen-from-him) objects of power. And so begins a contemporary classic that interweaves mythology, folklore, and fairytales to explore the nature of dreams and the necessity of change. The graphic novels are a masterpiece, and the Netflix show only improves upon it, giving greater agency and voice to the women and including a more diverse cast. My favorite episode/chapter corresponding to season 1 is “Calliope,” which explores what an author is willing to do for inspiration and shows Morpheus’ growth resulting from his imprisonment. I also love “The Sound of Her Wings,” which introduces the sister-brother dynamics between Death and Morpheus.
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
Smythe reimagines the Greek Pantheon with a modern twist—complete with glamor and gossip, parties and scandals, and forbidden love. While there is a lot of sweetness (Hades is a cinnamon roll, Persephone is booksmart and strong, and their friends are the best), Lore Olympus also addresses the dark side of the myths, like the View Spoiler » and the resulting trauma. The characters are as dynamic as the art (very). Prepare a box of tissues and come prepared for the feels.
Nonfiction & Poetry
The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee
This broad overview of Asian-American history explores the lives and marks of Asian immigrants and their American-born descendants. From sailors and “coolies” who came on the first trans-Pacific ships, to racial discrimination and Asian-exclusion laws, to refugees seeking haven and a new life, to the myths and realities of Asian America, Erika Lee explores the complicated role of race in the “nation of immigrants.” The Making of Asian America is a great introduction for anyone hoping to learn more about Asian-American history. Although wide in scope, covering several hundred years of American history, it also offers depth by recounting the personal stories of various individuals, who made history and were in turn shaped by events.
An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
Two hundred years after the Mvskoke people were forcibly removed from their homelands to Indian Territory, Joy Harjo returns to her family’s land. In this collection of poems, she engages in conversation with a bitter part of American history, paying homage to her ancestors who walked the Trail of Tears and intertwining their stories with her personal reflections. And in the end, she leaves us with hope.
Let’s Chat
What were some of your favorite reads in 2022?
Eustacia says
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is gorgeous! The story sounds very good as well!