If you love dogs of all kinds, the idea of a basket-toting dog that does his own shopping, and a story of a young girl who befriends said dog and accidentally lets a small lie spiral out of control, then I think you are going to love Pawcasso by Remy Lai.
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Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity… and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.
In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?
In late March, I had the delight of reading and reviewing Tokyo Ever After, a book that would become one of my favourite reads of all time. I have so much love for this romantic comedy, and I am incredibly delighted to participate in the blog tour for Tokyo Ever After today. Thank you to Flatiron Books for inviting me and allowing me to be part of this blog tour!
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Let’s Go On a Pond-cation is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond that celebrates and highlights worldbuilding in stories! In our Pond-cation posts, the Pond friends and authors team up to take all of us on a virtual vacation through the real life places in books or the places that inspired fictional places and worldbuilding. Find out more information about this guest feature here.
We’re going on a wonderful journey today, friends. When I heard about Dream Country, a forthcoming YA fantasy about sibling rivalry and triplets gods, I was immediately intrigued! When I had the opportunity to work together with Onwe, a Black women-led independent publisher, to celebrate the worldbuilding of Dream Country by Ashaye Brown as part of the book’s blog tour, I absolutely had to say yes. I have the honour of having Ashaye Brown herself visiting us today to take us on a journey through the wonderful places in Dream Country and their inspirations. So, let’s go, friend. Ashaye’s going to take us on an adventure!
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Just over a little more than a year ago, I had the delight of reading The Dragon Warrior. I have a very fond memory of sitting in bed in my hotel room during a work trip, feeling alone and only having the company of my ARC copy of The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao. And when I read Katie’s middle-grade debut, about a young Asian girl who was The Chosen One and wielded the power of dragons and went on this incredible adventure – I didn’t feel alone anymore; I felt excited, empowered, and like I had gone on an incredible journey.
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Last year, I had the absolute delight of being given an ARC of Caster by Elsie Chapman – an exciting dystopian-fantasy where magic – or ‘casting’ – comes with a cost, and is often at the expense of the magic-caster’s body. I enjoyed Caster, and eagerly anticipated the sequel.
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