TBR - Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and I've been adding tons of recommended books to my to be read list. Below are some that I'm most looking forward to reading, including a mix of titles that are currently available and some that are available for preorder. I managed to narrow it down to fifteen recommendations, but this could easily have been the longest list I've ever made...there are so many excellent books coming out! 

1. Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi - Scott Ferdowsi has a track record of being a little aimless, uncertain of what he wants to do in life. When his parents pressure him to settle on a career path, he sneaks off to Washington DC and finds himself immersed in adventures he never expected to take.

2. I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn - Kimi Nakamura's obsession with turning everyday ephemera into bold fashion statements has her constantly at odds with her mother. When a letter from her grandparents arrives following a huge fight with her mom, Kimi finds herself on the way to Japan for spring break in an attempt to escape the disaster that has become her life. 

3. I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee - Skye Shin doesn't care what other people have to say about what she shouldn't or shouldn't do. She's competing against thousands of other performers in a competition to find the next k-pop star, and she's ready to crush the competition and become the world's first plus-sized k-pop star.

4. Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan - Coming out October 12th, Jade Fire Gold follows two characters, Ahn and Altan. When the two meet, they both see the other as an opportunity...for Ahn, Altan could help her unlock her past, and for Altan, Ahn could help pave the way to reclaiming his throne. But will the pair end up paying more than they are prepared to achieve their goals?

5. The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland - The Jasmine Project will be published September 7th and is described as Jenny Han meets The Bachelorette. After catching her longtime boyfriend cheating, Jasmine Yap refuses to meet anyone new. Using her graduation party as a dating opportunity, her family arranges meetings with a carefully curated list of men...but everything may not go as planned with this meticulously organized event.

6. The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri - With a publish date of June 8th, this is the story of Malini, imprisoned by her dictator brother and condemned to spend her days in isolation, and Priya, a maidservant with a dangerous secret. Can the two work together to change the fate of their empire?

7. The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco - Book one in a duology, this is a fantasy about twin goddesses ruling Aeon, one over the frozen island of Aranth and the other over the land-locked Golden City. When shadowy forces come to call, the two goddesses must sacrifice whatever it takes to heal their world.

8. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay - Jay Reguero's plans for his final semester of high school are derailed following the murder of his cousin Jun. Jay travels to the Philippines  on a quest to understand what led to Jun's death, but the answers he finds may force him to recon with more than he expected.

9. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan - Coming out July 20th, this is the story of fate. The fate of greatness assigned to one child, eighth-born son Zhu Chongba, and the fate of nothing, assigned to the Zhu family's second daughter. After a bandit attack orphans the pair, they learn that their assigned fates aren't necessarily set in stone.

10. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim - This book is coming out July 6th, and I can't wait! Shiori, the princess of Kiata, has a secret she has carefully kept for a long time. When she loses control of her concealed magic on the day of her betrothal ceremony, what she at first thinks may be a blessing in disguise may cause more trouble than she bargained for.

11. This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura - CJ's mom wants her to be driven and type A like she is, but CJ may not have it in her. What she does have is a knack for arranging the perfect bouquet, which comes in handy at her family's flower shop. So what will CJ do when her mom decides to sell the shop...to the family who swindled her grandparents during World War II?

12. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi - This is a coming-of-age story about Shirin, a Hijabi teenager dealing with the racism and abuse following 9/11. When she meets Ocean James, she can sense that he might be different than some of the other boys she's met...but she's not sure she can let her walls down and take a risk.

13. Wicked Fox by Kat Cho - The first book in a fantasy series, this is the story of Gu Miyoung, a nine-tailed fox who must carefully conceal her identity, and Jihoon, the human boy she rescues from being attacked by a goblin.

14. Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi - I am incredibly and endlessly obsessed with Mary H.K. Choi, and this book is literally sitting on my coffee table next to me as I type this, waiting for me to finish my book club's May book so I can read it. Jayne Baek is struggling - her boyfriend sucks, her friends aren't great, school is meh, and she's not quite ready to admit that she's struggling with an eating disorder. That's just life, right? But when her estranged sister is diagnosed with cancer, Jayne finds herself moving in with June and dealing not just with the knowledge that her sister might die but also forced to confront some of her own issues.

15. You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao - This is not coming out until November 2nd, and I may need to secure myself an advanced copy because I am DYING to read it. Just reading the description made me tear up, and I just...I need it. Julie's future is all planned out, until her boyfriend Sam dies. Shattered, Julie tries everything she can to forget him and the tragedy of his death, until a message in her yearbook drives her to call his cell phone one last time...and Sam picks up.