Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee
A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen
When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Tag Archives: A Banh Mi for Two
Fave Five: Queer Romance Abroad
A Bánh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen (f/f YA, Sài Gòn)
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Historical m/m YA, all across Europe)
Abroad by Liz Jacobs (m/m NA duology, London)
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (m/x, France, Italy, and Spain)
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal (Historical f/f, Paris) and Finding Joy (m/m, Addis Ababa) by Adriana Herrera
Bonus: Coming in 2026, Like We Were in Paris by Stephan Lee (m/m YA, Paris)
New Releases: August 20, 2024
Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters
When roguish Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie travels to America to clean up his image after a horribly public break up gone viral, romance is absolutely NOT on the agenda. Carefully planned photo ops with puppies? Yes. Public appearances at a Santa Monica art gallery? Absolutely. A pink-haired, film-obsessed hottie from the private school where he’s currently enrolled? Uhhhh . . .
Together with his entourage—a bitingly witty royal guard, Rêverie’s future Queen and Jadon’s sarcastic and supportive older sister, and a quirky Royal Liaison—Jadon’s on a mission to turn things around and show his parents, and his country, that he’s more than just a royal screw-up.
But falling for a not-so-royal American boy? Well, it might be a fairytale romance come true . . . or it could be another disaster headline in the making. Stick around and find out.
Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Young Adult Fiction: July-December 2024
A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman (July 2nd)
When Cal Ware wins a scholarship to an elite New England boarding school, he’s thrilled to leave his past behind. Back home in Mississippi, he was the poor, queer kid who never fit in. But at Essex Academy, he’ll be able to reinvent himself. Or so he hopes…
But at Essex, Cal’s classmates only see his cheap clothes and old iPhone. They mock his accent, and can’t believe he’s never left the country, or heard of The Hamptons. Cal, at his breaking point, is about to give up and return to Mississippi when he learns about a secret society on campus — the key to becoming Essex royalty.
Cal knows he’s not exactly secret society material, but to his surprise, he finds an unlikely champion in the handsome, charismatic, and slightly dangerous Luke Kim. As they get swept up in the mystery and glamour of the Rush process, Cal finds himself falling in love for the first time.
But as the initiation rituals grow riskier — and increasingly nefarious — Cal must decide how far he’s willing to go, and how much of himself he’s willing to sacrifice, to save everything and everyone he cherishes most. Because nothing at Essex — not even Cal’s first love — is quite what it seems.
Continue reading Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Young Adult Fiction: July-December 2024
Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2024!
Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2024! And if you’re Canadian, Happy Asian Heritage Month! Come celebrate with all the books! (And get even more recs from past years’ posts!)
(Note: not all of the Asian authors or characters in these titles are specifically American. I thought it was worth highlighting more books than that specific title allowed.)
Picture Books
I Am a Rainbow! by Mark Kanemura (text) and Richard Merritt (illustration)
Mark loves putting on shows, dressing up, and dancing! But what makes him happy at home gets him teased at school. To remind Mark that his unique light makes the world a brighter place, his parents surprise him with a beautiful, flowing cape. Wearing it, he feels invincible and free to shine all over Honolulu! It even gives him the courage to befriend some kids who are just as colorful as he is. When the cape goes missing, Mark loses his new confidence. How will he ever shine again?
Continue reading Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2024!