52 Books by Women of Color - Part 1 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

My reading list this year was inspired by an article in the Daily Kos about challenging yourself to read more books by women of color to broaden your perspectives. As a female writer of color, the majority of my reading is centered around writers of color and women writers, but I thought it would be a good exercise for me to be more intentional about what I’m reading, particularly since my preferred genre of crime fiction can skew very white. Since we’ve just entered the second half of the year, I thought I’d provide a round-up of the books I’ve read so far since I haven’t had a single miss in my selections. Yes, some I love less than others but they’re all books I’m happy to recommend. I’m providing affiliate links for each book, but you can also just go to my Bookshop page to see all the titles. The first half of my 52 Books By Women of Color 2020 Reading Challenge:

1. Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim - Simple yet lyrical. Heartfelt. Delicious!

2. I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib - Fun, loved the Filipino stuff and clashing of cultures. Quick read.

3. Iced in Paradise by Naomi Hirahara - Fast read, great updated and diverse cozy. Interested in seeing how the series develops

4. Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn - Sexy, funny, and full of ass-kicking

5. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu - So adorable, well-implemented diversity, SQUEE

6. Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely - Wonderfully character-driven story. Grandmaster for a reason. Political commentary woven in expertly.

7. God’s Will for Monsters by Rachelle Cruz - Need to re-read to better understand. Powerful but I clearly missed a lot. Great start to my initiative to read more poetry.

8. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey - Loved it! So immersive and I loved all the historical details. Guessed the killer fairly early but still enjoyable.

9. Mimi Lee Gets A Clue by Jennifer J. Chow - Decent start to a fun new series

10. Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin - Excellent Muslim modern update of Pride & Prejudice. Loved it.

11. Wed, Read & Dead by V. M. Burns - Fast, fun, and a great comfort read

12. One Feta in the Grave by Tina Kashian - Quick, easy read. Good culinary cozy series

13. Bookmarked for Murder by V. M. Burns - Another installment of one of my fave comfort read series

14. The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu - Good start to an interesting historical mystery series, but don’t love the accepted colonial subservience. I’m sure it’s in keeping with the historical setting, but as someone whose family is originally from the Philippines, it rubs me the wrong way. Will keep reading and hope that the character evolves.

15. Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien - Fun, fast, and I think this series actually gets better with each book

16. Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux - Looove Cassandra Cain! So many feels!

17. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi - Wish I had books like this when I was younger. Would make a great animated show.

18. Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco - Devoured it in one day. Loved the bits of Filipino culture; almost cried seeing it represented. Also, THAT ENDING

19. A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole - Sexy, fun, and love the characters

20. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole - Very cute novella. Likotsi is awesome and #FashionGoals

21. Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole - Didn’t think I’d love a Portia book as much as I did. Great book and chemistry, think I like it even better than the first in the series.

22. Can’t Escape Love by Alyssa Cole - ADORABLE. Escape room geek romance novella

23. A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole - MY HEART. Nya and Johan are so pure and must be protected at all costs. My fave in the Reluctant Royals series <3

24. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert - Another great contemporary Black romance with great disability rep

25. An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole - Good read, very sexy, but prefer her Reluctant Royals series. Will read more though.

26. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory - Fun, but I expected to love it more considering Fake Dating is my favorite trope

27. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert - Now THIS is a fake dating book. So swoonworthy. Zaf is the most adorable cinnamon roll and I love Dani’s strength and vulnerability. LOVE

I'm on task with my reading deadlines, but Camp Nano this month might slow me down a bit. Let me know what you've been reading that would be a great addition to this list!

-- Mia