#Sabina Khan

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Fiction: Queer Fiction Set in South Asia

For more titles set in India, click here. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (Sri Lanka) The Sea Elephants by Shastri Akella (India) Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam (Bangladesh) Other Names for Love by Taymour Soomro (Pakistan) Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai (Sri Lanka) Bonus: These are all Adult fiction, but for YA, check out Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam…

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#Bangladesh #Bright Lines #Desi #Funny Boy #India #Other Names for Love #Pakistan #Sabina Khan #Shastri Akella #Shehan Karunatilaka #Shyam Selvadurai #South Asia #Sri Lanka #Swimming in the Monsoon Sea #Tanwi Nandini Islam #Taymour Soomro #The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali #The Sea Elephants #The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

[ireadyabooks]

Read with Pride Love Stories Perfect for Valentine’s Day! 💟🌈

Believe it or not, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! It’s the perfect time of year to grab a romantic read and fantasize about your own Valentine. At I read YA, we believe everyone deserves to see themselves represented in all aspects of life so we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite queer romances for you to add to your shelf during this season of love! We hope you fall in love with these sweet reads just as much as we have!

Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton & Aśka 

Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love?

Start reading Stars in Their Eyes now! 

Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See

Less than a year away from graduation, seventeen-year-old Joy is too busy overachieving to be worried about relationships. She’s determined to be Caldwell Prep’s first disabled valedictorian. And she only has one person to beat, her academic rival Nathaniel.

But it’s senior year and everyone seems to be obsessed with pairing up. One of her best friends may be developing feelings for her and the other uses Caldwell’s anonymous love-letter writer to snag the girl of her dreams. Joy starts to wonder if she has missed out on a quintessential high school experience. She is asexual, but that’s no reason she can’t experience first love, right?

She writes to Caldwell Cupid to help her sort out these new feelings and, over time, finds herself falling for the mysterious voice behind the letters. But falling in love might mean risking what she wants most, especially when the letter-writer turns out to be the last person she would ever expect.

Start reading Love Letter for Joy now! 

Heartstopper  Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the much-loved HEARTSTOPPER series, featuring gorgeous two-color artwork.

Nick and Charlie are in love. They’ve finally said those three little words, and Charlie has almost persuaded his mum to let him sleep over at Nick’s house. He wants to take their relationship to the next level... but can he find the confidence he needs? And with Nick going off to university next year, is everything about to change?

Start reading Heartstopper Volume 5 now!

What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan

Mehar hasn’t been back to India since she and her mother moved away when she was only four. But when her father announces his engagement to socialite Naz, Mehar reluctantly agrees to return for the wedding. While her father still doesn’t make the time for her, Mehar barely cares once she meets Sufiya, her grandmother’s assistant, and one of the most grounded, thoughtful, kind people she’s ever met! Meanwhile, Mehar’s dislike for Naz and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, deepens. Mehar’s starting to think that putting a stop to this wedding might be the best thing for everyone involved.But what happens when telling her father the truth about Naz and Aleena means putting her relationship with Sufiya at risk . . .

Start reading What a Desi Girl Wants now!

Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Frith has problems. His crush is dating someone else, his sisters have glitter-bombed his prosthesis (again), and he's a seer-of-spirits in York, the most haunted city in England, and all his friends are ghosts.

To make matters worse, it seems that famous spirits are mysteriously vanishing from York's haunted streets and alleys. Charlie is determined to stay out of it, but Sam, the irritating new seer in town, expects him to track down who -- or what -- is responsible and uncover the dark purpose behind these disappearances.

But when one of Charlie's ghostly friends vanishes, he has no choice but to face the shadows -- and his growing feelings for Sam. The boys must be willing to risk it all to save York’s spirits, because this adversary will stop at nothing to complete their devastating plan. Afterlives are at stake, and Charlie is running out of time . . . 

Start reading Sixteen Souls now!

The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver

Just days before spring break, Neil Kearney is set to fly across the country with his childhood friend (and current friend-with-benefits) Josh, to attend his brother's wedding—until Josh tells Neil that he's in love with him and Neil doesn't return the sentiment.

With Josh still attending the wedding, Neil needs to find a new date to bring along. And, almost against his will, roommate Wyatt is drafted.

At first, Wyatt (correctly) thinks Neil is acting like a jerk. But when they get to LA, Wyatt sees a little more of where it's coming from. Slowly, Neil and Wyatt begin to understand one another . . . and maybe, just maybe, fall in love for the first time . . .

Start reading The Feeling of Falling in Love now!

#ireadya #yabooks #Stars in Their Eyes #Jessica Walton #Aśka #Love Letters for Joy #Melissa See #Heartstopper #Alice Oseman #What a Desi Girl Wants #Sabina Khan #Sixteen Souls #Rosie Talbot #The Feeling of Falling in Love #Okay Cupid #Mason Deaver

[queer-books-bracket]

#the love and lies of rukhsana ali #one last stop #casey mcquiston #Sabina khan #books #lgbt books #polls

[nataliekabra]

mehar about to have a meltdown until she gets a maaza after which she immediately transforms into a happy five year old is the most relatable thing I've ever read

#what a desi girl wants #sabina khan

[dracereads]

I did do a small book haul for May!

So. From the Left Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea, Alexis Hall’s A Lady for A Duke, Sabina Khan’s The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali, Xiran Jay Zhao’s Zachary Ying And The Dragon Emperor, Isabel Sterling’s This Coven Won’t Break, Mason’s Deaver The Ghosts We Keep, Louisa’s May Alcott’s Little Women, Malinda LO’s Last Night At The Telegraph Club, Sue Monk Kidd’s The Book of Longings, Rainbow Rowell’s Attachments, and Rachael Lippincott’s The Lucky List.

#bram stoker #Dracula #maggie tokuda hall #the mermaid the witch and the sea #alexis hall #a lady for a duke #Sabina Khan #The Love and likes of Rukhsana Ali #Xiran Jay zhao #zachary ying #Isabel Sterling #This Coven Won't break #mason deaver #the ghosts we keep #louisa may alcott #little women #malinda lo #last night at the telegraph club #sue monk kidd #The Book of Longings #Rainbow Rowell #Attachments #rachael lippincott #The lucky list #blog updates #ooo man this is such a long list I'm sorry

[yaworldchallenge]

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

Region: Asia

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali

Author: Sabina Khan

336 pages, published 2019

Original language: English

Native author? Yes

Age: Teen

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali has always been fascinated by the universe around her and the laws of physics that keep everything in order. But her life at home isn't so absolute.

Unable to come out to her conservative Muslim parents, she keeps that part of her identity hidden. And that means keeping her girlfriend, Ariana, a secret from them too. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life at home and a fresh start at Caltech in the fall. But when Rukhsana's mom catches her and Ariana together, her future begins to collapse around her.

Devastated and confused, Rukhsana's parents whisk her off to stay with their extended family in Bangladesh where, along with the loving arms of her grandmother and cousins, she is met with a world of arranged marriages, religious tradition, and intolerance. Fortunately, Rukhsana finds allies along the way and, through reading her grandmother's old diary, finds the courage to take control of her future and fight for her love.

A gritty novel that doesn't shy away from the darkest corners of ourselves, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali provides a timely and achingly honest portrait of what it's like to grow up feeling unwelcome in your own culture and proves that love, above all else, has the power to change the world.

Other reps: #lesbian #muslim

Genres: #contemporary #family #cross-cultural

My thoughts:

Well, that’s a pretty long blurb, and sums up most of the theme of the novel. I’ve heard good things about this book, though I’ve also heard it’s pretty heart-rending. I’m here for the queer girls, though.

Review to come.

Kindle link

#bangladesh #ya world challenge #ya books #lgbtq books #the love and lies of rukhsana ali #sabina khan #lesbian #muslim #contemporary #family #cross-cultural #asia

[daisytrails]

shout out to sabina khan, author of the love and lies of rukhsana ali, for being my number 3 artist on spotify wrapped bc i listened to that 10 hour audio book

it’s a 5 star book, i sobbed dramatically multiple times while reading it. if you are going to read it please look up the trigger warnings bc the things that happen to rukhsana and others are just so devastating. every time i thought i had accurately predicted what unfortunate thing would happen next something even more gut wrenching happened instead

#sabina khan #the love and lies of rukhsana ali #rukhsana ali #spotify wrapped #books

[ericeffiorg]

just finished reading a beautiful (albeit cheesy at times) book about a queer muslim girl and then i went onto youtube to see any reviews on it and it’s just full of white women listing it in their “worst books of 2020″ or “worst ya books” videos and now i want to get violent.

phoebe-buffay-thats-not-for-you-bitch.gif

anyway the book is called ‘the love and lies of rukhsana ali’ by sabina khan and it’s about a muslim girl who wants to be with her girlfriend but her parents aren’t keen so try to teach her otherwise, and it’s a difficult and somewhat cheesy read but it was very <3 and now i just wish white people would keep their opinions on this stuff to themselves

#idc what your reason is just shut up ! #the love and lies of rukhsana ali #sabina khan

[publishedtoday]

Meet Me in Mumbai - Sabina Khan

Seventeen-year-old Mira Fuller-Jensen was adopted by her moms at birth. All she knows about her biological mother is that she was a high-school student from India who returned to India after giving birth. Although Mira loves her moms, she's always felt out of place in her mostly white community. So when Mira finds an old box with letters addressed to her from her birth mother, she sees a way to finally capture that feeling of belonging. Her mother writes that if Mira can forgive her for having to give her up, she should find a way to travel to India for her eighteenth birthday and meet her. Mira knows she'll always regret it if she doesn't go. But is she actually ready for what she will learn?

#meet me in mumbai #sabina khan #push #september 6 2022 #poc #Indian

[sapphicbookclub]

23 sapphic books in 2023

Here’s a list of 2023 book releases with f/f pairings that you can add to your TBR and you can preorder now to support the authors!  

Science Fiction / Fantasy books:

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Ravensong by Cayla Fay

The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Lucha of the Night Forest Tehlor by Kay Mejia

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela

Contemporary romance books: 

Life is Strange: Steph’s Story by Rosiee Thor

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Out of Character by Jenna Miller

What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

May 2023 bring you even more sapphicness and books! 🎆🎇

#sapphic books #lgbt books #queer books #diverse books #lgbtq books #sbl

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: LGBTQ YA with MCs of Indian Descent

The Loophole by Naz Kutub Jaya and Rasa by Sonia Patel What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan Bonus: There’s no official pub date yet, but keep an eye out for Just Happy to Be Here by Naomi Kanakia Double Bonus: While Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim is set in a secondary world, Amaya’s father is from a country modeled on…

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#All the Yellow Suns #Desi #Indian #Indian American #Jaya and Rasa #Just Happy to Be Here #Malavika Kannan #Naomi Kanakia #Naz Kutub #Sabina Khan #Scavenge the Stars #Sonia Patel #Tara Sim #We Are Totally Normal #What a Desi Girl Wants

[ireadyabooks]

5 Book Recs Based on Your Favorite Holiday Rom-Com!❄️💝

The holiday season is special for many reasons, but one of my favorites is watching all of the cheesy and sweet holiday rom-coms every year. It always warms my heart and reminds me just how filled with love everyone is this time of year (unless you’re Scrooge). To celebrate this season, we tapped into our inner romantic to provide book recs for those of you who may have already finished your yearly holiday movie binge!

If you like You’ve Got Mail (1998), then you might like I Hope This Doesn’t Find You!

The intense and passionate internet romance that blossoms between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks’ characters in You’ve Got Mail is one for the ages. It sets the benchmark for enemies-to-lovers romances as the two eventually discover that the person they’ve fallen for is the very person they’ve grown to despise. Fans of this burning romance will love Ann Liang’s newest novel, I Hope This Doesn’t Find You, a snarky academic rivals-to-lovers story that you won’t be able to put down!

If you like Single All the Way (2021), then you might like The Feeling of Falling in Love!

Single All the Way is a hilarious queer holiday rom-com centered around the chaos that ensues when your family is determined to set you up with your bff/roommate. And while this takes friends-to-lovers to a whole new level, maybe, just maybe, your family has a point. Fans of Single All the Way will be head over heels for Mason Deaver’s The Feeling of Falling in Love, a new kind of love story about bad decisions we make and the people (aka your roommate/reluctant wedding date) who help get us back on the right path.

If you like Happiest Season (2020), then you might like What a Desi Girl Wants!

One of the newest holiday movies on the list, this charming sapphic holiday rom-com starring Kristen Stewart is about wanting your family’s acceptance while staying true to yourself. Fans of Happiest Season will love Sabina Khan’s What a Desi Girl Wants, a brilliant love story filled with nuanced family dynamics and a sprinkling of sabotage that’s sure to set your queer (or not so queer) heart ablaze.

If you like The Holiday (2006), then you might like Stars in Their Eyes!

The Holiday, featuring an all-star cast of Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black, is one of the best meet-cute holiday romances of all time. The film not only puts you in the holiday spirit but also has heartwarming storylines that will make you believe in love again. Fans of The Holiday and quirky meet-cutes will fall hard and fast for Stars in Their Eyes from Jessica Walton and Aśka, a one-of-a-kind YA graphic novel that celebrates the excitement of meeting someone special for the first time.

If you like When Harry Met Sally (1989), then you might like Rosewood!

When Harry Met Sally might take the crown for one of the most famous rom-com movies of all time, the holiday celebrations in the film always leave me feeling so festive, but if I’ve learned one thing from this well-known romance, it’s that you should always, ALWAYS, follow your heart. Fans of this quirky love story will absolutely adore Sayantani DasGupta’s witty and bright Rosewood, a romantic and funny retelling of Sense & Sensibility set at a Bridgerton-esque summer camp, where Elia must choose to follow her carefully laid plans or let a certain someone derail them.

#ireadya #ya books #holiday #holiday movies #rom coms #you've got mail #single all the way #happiest season #the holiday #when harry met sally #i hope this doesn't find you #ann liang #mason deaver #the feeling of falling in love #what a desi girl wants #sabina khan #stars in their eyes #jessica walton #aśka #rosewood #sayantani dasgupta

[queer-books-bracket]

#hani and ishu's guide to fake dating #adiba jaigirdar #the love and lies of Rukhsana Ali #Sabina Khan #books #lgbt books #polls

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌙 Ramadan Mubarak - Books ft. Muslims

🦇 Good morning, my beautiful bookish bats. To celebrate this Islamic holy month, here are a FEW books featuring Muslim characters. I hope you consider adding a few to your TBR.

❓What was the last book you read that taught you something new OR what's at the top of your TBR?

🌙 A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum 🌙 Amal Unbound - Aisha Saeed 🌙 Love From A to Z - S.K. Ali 🌙 Hana Khan Carries On - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 Yes No Maybe So - Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Evil Eye - Etaf Rum 🌙 I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai 🌙 Exit West - Mohsin Hamid 🌙 Written in the Stars - Aisha Saeed 🌙 The Night Diary - Veera Hiranandani 🌙 Much Ado About Nada - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 The Eid Gift - S.K. Ali 🌙 More Than Just a Pretty Face - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero - Saadia Faruqi 🌙 If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan 🌙 Snow - Orhan Pamuk 🌙 Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged - Ayisha Malik 🌙 The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad 🌙 And I Darken - Kiersten White 🌙 The Last White Man - Mohsin Hamid

🌙 Hijab Butch Blues - Lamya H 🌙 The Bad Muslim Discount - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Ms. Marvel - G. Willow Wilson 🌙 Love from Mecca to Medina - S.K. Ali 🌙 The City of Brass - S.A. Chakraborty 🌙 The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim 🌙 A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar 🌙 A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan 🌙 The Moor’s Account - Laila Lalami 🌙 Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian 🌙 Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 🌙 When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Quershi 🌙 Jasmine Falling by Shereen Malherbe 🌙 Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad 🌙 Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

🌙 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie 🌙 All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir 🌙 The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik 🌙 Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif 🌙 Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi 🌙 A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena 🌙 Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga 🌙 The Mismatch by Sara Jafari 🌙 Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah 🌙 You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen 🌙 Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali 🌙 Once Upon an Eid - S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan 🌙 Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson 🌙 The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar 🌙 A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Nayra and the Djinn by Michael Berry 🌙 All-American Muslim Girl by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi

🌙 The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim 🌙 Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg 🌙 Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi 🌙 Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan 🌙 Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam 🌙 She Wore Red Trainers by Na'ima B. Robert 🌙 Hollow Fires by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 Internment by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Love in a Headscarf - Shelina Zahra Janmohamed 🌙 Courting Samira by Amal Awad 🌙 The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik 🌙 Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy 🌙 Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Muslim Girls Rise - Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel 🌙 Amira & Hamza - Samira Ahmed 🌙 The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan

🌙 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh 🌙 Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao 🌙 The Yard - Aliyyah Eniath 🌙 When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar 🌙 The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty 🌙 Maya's Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja 🌙 The Chai Factor by Farah Heron 🌙 The Beauty of Your Face - Sahar Mustafah 🌙 Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana

#ramadan #muslim writers #muslim #books #book list #ramadan mubarak #ramadan kareem #batty about books #battyaboutbooks

[the-bi-library]

Here is the part two of my bisexual BIPOC books posts!

Part 1 here

Books listed:

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea The Relic Spell: Book 1 of the Phyrian War Chronicles by Jimena I. Novaro The Warlock Snare by Jimena I. Novaro Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert The Aurora Circus by Viano Oniomoh Rescues and the Rhyssa by T. S. Porter Far Sector by N. K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon Flip the Script by Lyla Lee A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson Shatterproof by Xen Sanders The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan When Tara Met Farah by Tara Pammi Royally Yours by Everly James For Sizakele by Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene More To Love by Georgina Kiersten False Hearts by Laura Lam Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by H. S. Valley Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody Becoming Dinah by Kit de Waal Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose The Black Veins by Ashia Monet Hearton by Amy Jo Cousins

#bisexual #bisexual representation #bisexual pride #bi books #bisexual books #sapphic books #achillean books #booklr #book blog #queer books #lgbt books #lgbtq books #bi4bi #bi4bi books #bisexual romance #bookblr #book tumblr #Bi rep #black books #asian books #indigenous books #bipoc books #Queer bipoc books #queer bipoc #My posts

[richincolor]

We have a ton of books on our calendar for July, so I thought it would be fun to highlight a few that caught my eye. Are any of these on your TBR list?

All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan

A coming-of-age story about a queer Indian American girl exploring activism and identity through art, perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Sixteen-year-old Maya Krishnan is fiercely protective of her friends, immigrant community, and single mother, but she knows better than to rock the boat in her conservative Florida suburb. Her classmate Juneau Zale is the polar opposite: she’s a wealthy white heartbreaker who won’t think twice before capsizing that boat. When Juneau invites Maya to join the Pugilists—a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school—Maya descends into the world of change-making and resistance. Soon, she and Juneau forge a friendship that inspires Maya to confront the challenges in her own life. But as their relationship grows romantic, painful, and twisted, Maya begins to suspect that there’s a whole different person beneath Juneau’s painted-on facade. Now Maya must learn to speak her truth in this mysterious, mixed-up world—even if it results in heartbreak.

What a Desi Girl Wants Sabina Khan

The romance of Becky Albertalli meets the nuanced family dynamics of Darius the Great is Not Okay in this YA novel from acclaimed author Sabina Khan. Mehar hasn't been back to India since she and her mother moved away when she was only four. Hasn't visited her father, her grandmother, her family, or the home where she grew up. Why would she? Her father made it clear that she's not his priority when he chose not to come to the US with them. But when her father announces his engagement to socialite Naz, Mehar reluctantly agrees to return for the wedding. Maybe she and her father can heal their broken relationship. And after all, her father is Indian royalty, and his home is a palace--the wedding is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime affair. While her father still doesn't make the time for her, Mehar barely cares once she meets Sufiya, her grandmother's assistant, and one of the most grounded, thoughtful, kind people she's ever met! Though they come from totally different worlds, their friendship slowly starts to blossom into something more . . . Mehar thinks. Meanwhile, Mehar's dislike for Naz and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, deepens. She can tell that the two of them are just using her father for his money. Mehar's starting to think that putting a stop to this wedding might be the best thing for everyone involved. But what happens when telling her father the truth about Naz and Aleena means putting her relationship with Sufiya at risk . . .

Firebird by Sunmi HarperCollins

Caroline Kim is feeling the weight of sophomore year. When she starts tutoring infamous senior Kimberly Park-Ocampo--a charismatic lesbian, friend to rich kids and punks alike--Caroline is flustered . . . but intrigued Their friendship kindles and before they know it, the two are sneaking out for late-night drives, bonding beneath the stars over music, dreams, and a shared desire of getting away from it all. A connection begins to smolder . . . but will feelings of guilt and the mounting pressure of life outside of these adventures extinguish their spark before it catches fire? -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui Henry Holt

You can check out of Room 9, but you can never leave. The Haunting of Hill House meets Nina LaCour in this paranormal mystery YA about the ghosts we carry with us. Something is building, simmering just out of reach. The room is watching. But Mira and Layla don't know this yet. When the two best friends are stranded on their spring break college tour road trip, they find themselves at the Wildwood Motel, located in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. Mira can't shake the feeling that there is something wrong and rotten about their room. Inside, she's haunted by nightmares of her dead brother. When she wakes up, he's still there. Layla doesn't see him. Or notice anything suspicious about Room 9. The place may be a little run down, but it has a certain charm she can’t wait to capture on camera. If Layla is being honest, she’s too preoccupied with confusing feelings for Mira to see much else. But when they learn eight people died in that same room, they realize there must be a connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside it. They just have to find the connection before Mira becomes the ninth.

Rana Joon and the One and Only Now by Shideh Etaat

This lyrical coming-of-age novel for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and On the Come Up, set in southern California in 1996, follows a teen who wants to honor her deceased friend’s legacy by entering a rap contest. Perfect Iranian girls are straight A students, always polite, and grow up to marry respectable Iranian boys. But it’s the San Fernando Valley in 1996, and Rana Joon is far from perfect—she smokes weed and loves Tupac, and she has a secret: she likes girls. As if that weren’t enough, her best friend, Louie—the one who knew her secret and encouraged her to live in the moment—died almost a year ago, and she’s still having trouble processing her grief. To honor him, Rana enters the rap battle he dreamed of competing in, even though she’s terrified of public speaking. But the clock is ticking. With the battle getting closer every day, she can’t decide whether to use one of Louie’s pieces or her own poetry, her family is coming apart, and she might even be falling in love. To get herself to the stage and fulfill her promise before her senior year ends, Rana will have to learn to speak her truth and live in the one and only now.

#all the yellow suns #what a desi girl wants #firebird #a guide to the dark #rana joon and the one and only now #book lists