Surprise, it’s actually six! I do what I want.
For 2024 titles, click here.
If We Survive This by Racquel Marie
The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala
Hollow by Taylor Grothe
Empty Heaven by Freddie KölschÂ
Season of Fear by Emily Cooper
He’s So Possessed with Me by Corey Liu
Happy Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We’re celebrating, as we do, with a whole bunch of wonderful books written by authors and starring characters of Asian and/or Pacific Islander descent. For even more recs, check out last year’s post!
After making the buzzer-beating shot at the Georgia basketball state championships, Derrick Chan becomes the star of Bayard Middle School, and Derrick’s single dad could not be prouder. But there are parts of Derrick that no one knows about, like the toenail polish he wears under his basketball sneakers, his secret lip-sync performances in the bathroom mirror, and the feelings he’s developing for his best friend and teammate, JJ.
As the school year comes to a close, Derrick’s dad takes an out-of-town job and ships Derrick off to spend the summer with his estranged, eccentric grandmother, Claudia. Soon, Claudia introduces Derrick to the world of small-town southern beauty pageants, and Derrick suddenly feels he’s found where he belongs. But when the opportunity arises to compete in the town pageant, Derrick is forced to decide just how much of himself he’s ready to show the world.
Can he learn to love and accept the most unique parts of himself? And what will happen if others—like his father and JJ—can’t do the same?
