A Bánh Mì for Two is a beautiful and hilarious queer romance between young foodies trying to figure out their place in their culture identity and amidst grief and unknown familial histories. There is a nice balance between the new romance of Vivi and Lan and their personal journeys. A Bánh Mì for Two has lots of funny and tender moments between Vivi and Lan, and it looks at the idea of being different in a place where you seemingly belong and the importance of knowing our own histories. This novel looks at the reality of intergenerational trauma and how it simply won’t go away if we just ignore it. Most of all, A Bánh Mì for Two is an appreciation of Vietnamese food and food as a vehicle for love.

Alston’s latest installment in the Amari Supernatural Investigations series is a strong addition to an already wonderful Middle Grade fantasy series that blends a unique magic system with strongly done character dynamics and high stakes. The continuation of Amari’s friendships is done incredibly well, and readers are able to see Amari become a beautiful and bold young hero. Amari and the Despicable Wonders is action-packed and kept me locked in the entire time I was reading, while also weaving in the important discussion about how radical groups can come into fruition or morph from previously ignored groups of people. This is an especially important topic for a young audience to be exploring, especially in our current political landscape. I’m looking forward to more books in this series.

Banyan Moon is an intergenerational story that folds and weaves the lives of three women trying to do their best for each other in thew wake of unexpected loss and surprise blessings. Each generation’s story was engaging and well-paced. Banyan Moon is a beautiful exploration of womanhood and motherhood. Each woman was complex, and we’re able to see them from two other perspectives simultaneously, which helps give them depth. I would read again.

Love in Bloom is a hilarious and beautiful character-driven story about a woman redefining her life and what she wants, which means reconstructing what she thinks is important. The romance is a nice main plot that helps propel the story forward without discounting the development of the protagonist’s journey.