
In 2023, I’ve read 223 books so far.
The breakdown is:
7- Adult novels
4- Adult non-fiction
25- Graphic novels
46- Middle Grade novels
136- Picture Books and Board Books
5- Young Adult novels
of which
42- Nonfiction Picture Books
24- Audio Books
16- Books by Filipino Authors and/or Illustrators
17- Book by LGBTQ+ Authors and/or Illustrators
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Lin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Readers will devour this book when it comes out in September. Only Grace Lin can serve up food mythologies in such a way that you’re invested in the story and then crave all the food she wrote about. Great backmatter with additional information with all the research that was done. I appreciated the shout-outs to her research assistant.
I read an ARC so I can’t wait to see the final product in its full color presentation. Even in this state, the illustrations were stunning.
Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this picture book/ chapter book about a young trans boy named Max and how he tries to let his school know who he really is instead of who they think he is based on how he looks and their perceptions of him. I’m curious to read the other books in the series.
The Rainbow Flag: Bright, Bold, and Beautiful by Michelle Millar Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A beautiful book that instantly caught my eye and I wanted to read right away. It’s about how a group of friends in San Francisco (including Harvey Milk, Cleve Jones, and, of course, Gilbert Baker) came to design a flag that have become a symbol of pride for the LGBTQ+ community.
Door by Door: How Sarah McBride Became America’s First Openly Transgender Senator by Meeg Pincus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An inspiring picture book biography about Sarah McBride who had to open a door within herself to let her true self in and become the kind of person who opened doors for others.
Twenty Questions by Mac Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fun picture book perfect for read-alouds to hear the various answers readers will come up with to the open-ended questions.
The Umbrella by Beth Ferry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A sweet story about kindness and silver linings-and a touching tribute to Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
Laney Dances in the Rain: A Wordless Picture Book About Being True to Yourself by Ken Willard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A wordless picture book about not letting anything or anyone get you down or prevent yourself for being who you are.
Pigs Can’t Look Up by Vincent D’Onofrio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This fact wasn’t something I really thought about so the title intrigued me. A nice story about helping others.
Haylee and Comet: A Tale of Cosmic Friendship by Deborah Marcero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Beginning readers will love this graphic novel series of two friends who wish for one another. Sweet and delightful story.
Chasing Pacquiao by Rod Pulido
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this young adult novel more than I did I would even though there were a lot of things I didn’t like about it or I wouldn’t have even picked it up if I hadn’t been trying to read more books by or about Filipino people. I appreciated the duality of certain aspects of the story (like that the main character had a boyfriend but still wasn’t out in school or that he idolized an athlete who was great for representation but then said some very controversial and dangerous things about the LGBT community) but then I also wished these were tackled more. Lots of trigger warning for this one including profanity and abuse and violence. Some of my other problems were more about YA tropes than anything else. A cool thing I learned about reading this book was the type of Philippine poetry called tanaga.
You can view all my reviews over on Goodreads. Please consider supporting independent bookstores when you want to buy any of the books I’ve mentioned via Bookshop.org or Libro.fm.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Happy Reading!