#author: mary h.k. choi

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Jayne Baek is barely getting by. She shuffles through fashion school, saddled with a deadbeat boyfriend, clout-chasing friends, and a wretched eating disorder that she’s not fully ready to confront. But that’s New York City, right? At least she isn’t in Texas anymore, and is finally living in a city that feels right for her. On the other hand, her sister June is dazzlingly rich with a high-flying finance job and a massive apartment. Unlike Jayne, June has never struggled a day in her life. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer. Suddenly, these estranged sisters who have nothing in common are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 We shouldn't wait until May every year to delve into the beauty of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices. In May, I shared a list of the NEWEST AAPI books out this year. To keep promoting AAPI authors, characters, and stories, here are a few Young Adult AAPI books you can add to your TBR for the remainder of the year!

🏮 The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han 🏮 My Summer of Love and Misfortune by Lindsay Wong 🏮 Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi 🏮 When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert 🏮 To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han 🏮 I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu 🏮 Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi 🏮 American Panda by Gloria Chao 🏮 When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon 🏮 Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman 🏮 Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao 🏮 Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao 🏮 Want by Cindy Pon 🏮 The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf 🏮 A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata 🏮 Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon 🏮 Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert 🏮 A Pho Love Story by Loan Le 🏮 The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad 🏮 Prepped by Bethany Mangle 🏮 The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn 🏮 Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi 🏮 Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park 🏮 This is Not a Personal Statement by Tracy Badua 🏮 The Cartographers by Amy Zhang 🏮 The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim 🏮 This Place is Still Beautiful by Xixi Tian 🏮 Chasing Pacquiao by Rod Pulido 🏮 I'm Not Here to Make Friends by Andrew Yang 🏮 The Queens of New York by E. L. Shen 🏮 Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying 🏮 These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi 🏮 Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim 🏮 The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim 🏮 A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

[softpinkflower]

Mid-year book freakout tag

tagged by @lazybug16

1. Best book you've read so far in 2024

My year of rest and relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2024

I haven't read any sequels

3. New release you haven't read yet but want to

Interesting facts about space by Emily Austin

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I have no idea

5. Biggest disappointment

Los cuatro acuerdos by Dr. Miguel Ruiz

6. Biggest surprise

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

7. Favourite new author

Mary H.K Choi

8. Newest fictional crush

Emma Morley

9. Newest favourite character

Jayne Baek

10. Book that made you cry

None

11. Book that made you happy

Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

12. Favourite book to film adaptation that you've seen this year

It's a series but One Day by David Nicholls

13. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year

We've always lived in the castle by Shirley Jackson

14. What books do you need to read by the end of the year

Around 20 books and I'd be happy with it, if it can be more then even better

15. How many new books have you read so far

12

[mostlymaudlin]

Can you tell us about your writing inspirations? What authors do you feel have influenced your writing style the most?

hello!! ty for asking!

most of my writing inspirations are too personal to post on tumblr without doxxing myself lol -- i know i keep saying this, but i learned to write in newspapers, and the reporters and essayists and editors i got to work with really influenced the way i put ideas down on paper.

for fiction, i don't know that i have many intentional influences... looking at my storygraph, i definitely admire and have learned from kelly link, kiese laymon, mary h.k. choi, louis sachar, and tiffany d. jackson. and i appreciate emily henry's whole thing. also, there are all the one direction fanfic writers that i was obsessed with when i was 16 lol.

my BIGGEST INFLUENCE THOUGH... nobody is surprised, but it's @rainbowrowell <3 hi, i'm tagging you. i've played with fiction since i was a kid and did some workshops in college, but i really got into it after i read carry on! i was obsessed w the way rainbow lets a character, like... bleed and drool and cry all over the page. and the writing is so fun while also being incredibly precise about how it pokes at your head and your heartstrings. and i was like -- oh, i wanna do that!!!

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Permanent Record | Author: Mary H.K. Choi | Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2019)

[richincolor]

Seven Sets of Siblings

I just finished watching a drama loosely related to Little Women and it had me thinking about siblings and the complicated ways that we sometimes relate. Being connected to each other in that particular way can have all kinds of effects on us. Here are a few books that explore sibling relationships in interesting ways.

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow Feiwel Friends [Crystal's Review]

North Carolina, 1863. As the American Civil War rages on, the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming, a haven for the recently emancipated. Black people have begun building a community of their own, a refuge from the shadow of the old life. It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters:

Meg, a teacher who longs to find love and start a family of her own.

Jo, a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained.

Beth, a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose.

Amy, a dancer eager to explore life outside her family's home.

As the four March sisters come into their own as independent young women, they will face first love, health struggles, heartbreak, and new horizons. But they will face it all together.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Valora Luck has two things: a ticket for the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world, and a dream of leaving England behind and making a life for herself as a circus performer in New York. Much to her surprise, though, she's turned away at the gangway; apparently, Chinese people aren't allowed into America.

But Val has to get on that ship. Her twin brother, Jamie, who has spent two long years at sea, is on board, as is an influential circus owner. Thankfully, there's not much a trained acrobat like Val can't overcome when she puts her mind to it.

As a stowaway, Val should keep her head down and stay out of sight. But the clock is ticking and she has just seven days as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic to find Jamie, audition for the circus owner, and convince him to help get them both into America.

Then one night, the unthinkable happens, and suddenly Val's dreams of a new life are crushed under the weight of the only thing that matters: survival.

Tigers Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry Algonquin Young Readers [Q & A with Author]

The Torres sisters dream of escape. Escape from their needy and despotic widowed father, and from their San Antonio neighborhood, full of old San Antonio families and all the traditions and expectations that go along with them. In the summer after her senior year of high school, Ana, the oldest sister, falls to her death from her bedroom window. A year later, her three younger sisters, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa, are still consumed by grief and haunted by their sister’s memory. Their dream of leaving Southtown now seems out of reach. But then strange things start happening around the house: mysterious laughter, mysterious shadows, mysterious writing on the walls. The sisters begin to wonder if Ana really is haunting them, trying to send them a message—and what exactly she’s trying to say.

In a stunning follow-up to her National Book Award–longlisted novel All the Wind in the World, Samantha Mabry weaves an aching, magical novel that is one part family drama, one part ghost story, and one part love story.

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers [Crystal's Review]

Jayne Baek is barely getting by. She shuffles through fashion school, saddled with a deadbeat boyfriend, clout-chasing friends, and a wretched eating disorder that she’s not fully ready to confront. But that’s New York City, right? At least she isn’t in Texas anymore, and is finally living in a city that feels right for her.

On the other hand, her sister June is dazzlingly rich with a high-flying finance job and a massive apartment. Unlike Jayne, June has never struggled a day in her life. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer.

Suddenly, these estranged sisters who have nothing in common are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.

Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert Little, Brown [K. Imani's Review]

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi Feiwel and Friends [Crystal's Review]

Jerusalem, 1192. The Third Crusade rages on. Rahma al-Hud loyally followed her elder sister Zeena into the war over the Holy Land, but now that the Faranji invaders have gotten reinforcements from Richard the Lionheart, all she wants to do is get herself and her sister home alive.

But Zeena, a soldier of honor at heart, refuses to give up the fight while Jerusalem remains in danger of falling back into the hands of the false Queen Isabella. And so, Rahma has no choice but to take on one final mission with her sister.

On their journey to Jerusalem, Rahma and Zeena come across a motley collection of fellow travelers—including a softspoken Mongolian warrior, an eccentric Andalusian scientist, a frustratingly handsome spy with a connection to Rahma's childhood, and an unfortunate English chaplain abandoned behind enemy lines. The teens all find solace, purpose and camaraderie—as well as a healthy bit of mischief—in each other's company.

But their travels soon bring them into the orbit of Queen Isabella herself, whose plans to re-seize power in Jerusalem would only guarantee further war and strife in the Holy Land for years to come. And so it falls to the merry band of misfits to use every scrap of cunning and wit (and not a small amount of thievery) to foil the usurper queen and perhaps finally restore peace to the land.

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He Roaring Brook

Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her.

In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara lives in an eco-city built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return.

Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But nevertheless, she decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.

[smithlibrary]

Read More 2024 Korean Peninsula

A book about or set in North or South Korea, or written by a Korean author.

Fiction The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim The Plotters by On-Su Kim Pachinko by Min Jin Lee The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See The Frozen Hours by Jeff Shaara

Thriller Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha Star of the North by David John

Graphic Novels The World After the Fall

Young Adult Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

Biography Beyond the Story by Myeongseok Kang Tastes Like War by Grace Cho All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung

Non-Fiction The Great Successor by Anna Fifield Azaleas by Sowol Kim Aerial Concave Without Cloud by Sueyeun Juliette Lee

[willmarstudios]

Bookworm Will Review 2023 (#27)

Title: 'Permanent Record'

Author: Mary H.K. Choi

Rating: 4 / 5

Review: (MILD SPOILERS)

I want to start off by explaining that this book has probably one of the coolest covers ever. Like ever. I am in love with the way it is designed and how you can remove the jacket to get a completely different idea of the story. That alone was a huge drive for me to want to read it!

After reading the cover made even more sense. The magic of design!

Anyway, the story itself was a mix of hot and cold because it was almost too existential for me. I got anxiety because a lot of what the main character was working through felt so real. Choi's writing style was just that compelling for me. While a lot of the struggles we encounter, there was still that hint of what makes contemporary romances, that bit of the over dramatics. Obviously we're not going to all have a meet-cute with a super famous pop-star that'll turn our lives upside down, but it made for a fun story.

Granted after reading, I felt a little sad because the overall story was an exploration of flawed characters trapped within a mix of social/economical expectations, but also of ego + pride. The ages and upbringing of the cast did play into the direction of the ending which was rather melancholic.

Still a cool read!

[everythingyaattlls]

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month! We have lots of great young adult books by AAPI authors in our collection for you to check out. Stay tuned for new posts this month highlighting more authors!

Authors: Renée Ahdieh, Samira Ahmed, Janella Angeles, Rhoda Belleza, Akemi Dawn Bowman, Gloria Chao, Sonia Charaipotra, Traci Chee, Kat Cho, Mary H. K. Choi, Roshani Chokshi

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Quick Review: Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi Rating: 5/5

There was nothing for me to dislike about this book. Sam is the softest boy and Penny the most chaotic human but I loved watching their friendship develop and I enjoyed the way Choi tackled the big topics of the book. I'll definitely be picking up her other books soon!

Warnings: alcoholism (mostly off-page), anxiety and panic attacks, past experience of rape and abusive parents.

[cinnasbooks]

Review of Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (Spoiler Free)

Stars: 4.5/5

This was such a cute book, my goodness. I loved all the sentiment behind everything, all the relationships, the friendships and the chemistry between each and every character. It was so well written.

Let's start with Penny. Love her. Love her hair - I really want it if it looks anything like the cover. She's basically me and i've never related to a character so much in my life. Worries about everything? Check. Worries about those she loves. Check. Is prepared for a literal apocalypse. Check. Will not open to anyone until they know them really well. Check. My only issue with Penny was how she treated her mum, but that was resolved well and there was a pretty damn good reason behind it. Also I didn't see Penny's biggest secret coming. It was a shock, which doesn't often happen in books I read?

Sam. Sam Sam Sam. Where's my Sam? Honestly what a hard-working cutie. He's just doing his best in this world and it's all you can ask of him. His first relationship in the book was toxic and particularly frustrating but so necessary for the following plot omg. I can't rave about Sam enough. New book boyfriend anyone?

The plot was great. Good twists every here and there and I like the setting a lot. I found a few characters unnecessary like Mallory and Andy... I guess it's realistic to have them there but idk they just felt like side baggage a bit... hence the -.5 stars... Back to the plot. Just when you thought you knew where the story was going there was just a casual realistic bomb planted in between the pages... nothing to worry about EXCEPT ITS SO GOOD.

I thoroughly enjoyed how realistic this book is. If you follow my reviews you know I struggle with romance books/ YA / Teen romance books and realism. this was realistic. Love it.

I recommend it for 16+ yo there are some sexual assault references so please be aware of that if you are sensitive to such topics. There are other heavier topics too including alcohol and other addictions so keep that in mind but they're not too predominant.

[kuroasutoro]

Emergency Contact

Everything about this book is gold. Rose gold. The characters hit home with pretty much everyone, and especially those of us like Penny and Sam, 'broken'. You'll wish for your own Sam or Penny after reading this novel, I know I wish for a Sam to my Penny. It gives heart and breathes life into the important struggles of, somehow, everyday life. Parenting, friends, school, work, housing, relationships, homework, anxiety, therapy, rape, and communication. This book needs to come with a Penny Kit of its own, as it hits you with a whirlwind of emotions and way to relatable situations that are interwoven so perfectly, as if braided into history it's self. You feel as if you know the characters personally, and when reading Penny's work, feel as if you're staring at her computer screen instead of pages in a book. Mary H.K. Choi is a magician with words, reading it once doesn't give it enough room in your mind for the needed stage. Even through the seemingly rushed, but charming ending, this book is a masterpiece of a first novel. Even Rainbow Rowell, author of Fangirl and Carry On, loved this book. A must read YA for anyone, especially those with a fast track mind and a little more anxiety and problems for one person. And remember, it does count.

[brianasbooknook]

New Author: Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

I actually won this in a GoodReads giveaway, and I was super excited to read it! Penny has been floating through life just waiting to go to college so she can experience something. It’s a chance for her to start over, get away from her mom who tries to hard, and to maybe even meet a guy that she’s just okay with. When she meets her roommate’s “uncle” Sam, she thinks that maybe he’s just what she was looking for. Sam is having major problems with his ex girlfriend, and he’s living above the coffee shop that he works at. He’s not exactly living a glamorous life, but hopes that one day he’ll be a famous director and everything will work out. When he meets Penny, he starts to wonder if there’s more to life than his ex and learning how to perfect his craft. When the two become texting buddies, it morphs into something more than either of them expected, and changes the course of both of their lives. So I thought this was super cute and relatable, and it’s one of the better contemporary romances I’ve read. I liked the style of the book, going back and forth between the characters, as well as the texting aspect. I like that they didn’t get sappy or fall in love the “normal” way but that it was a slow process instead. I enjoyed Penny’s self-deprecating way of speaking, but I won’t lie, I skimmed over most of the parts that had to do with her writing and most of the parts that had to do with Sam’s movie. It just didn’t bring anything to the plot, IMHO. But the rest of it was really good, and I look forward to seeing what Choi writes next. Happy reading!

[nerdishfeels]

54321 Tag 📚

Thank you @logarithmicpanda for tagging me!

🌻 5 Books I’m loving/have loved:

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

🌼 4 autobuy authors:

Alix E. Harrow

Marissa Meyer

Mary H.K Choi

Naomi Novik

🌸 3 genres I love:

Fantasy

Sci-fi

Mystery (YA)

🌺 2 places I love to read:

My Desk

My Bed

🌷1 book/series I promised to read:

I would love to read The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre this year, so I hope I get to it lol 😅

Gonna tag @letthebookbegin, @horrorgirlreads, @howlsmovinglibrary and anyone else who wants to do the tag!

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Yolk | Author: Mary H.K. Choi | Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2021)

[cheshirelibrary]

Book recommendations from Your Favorite Authors.

[via The Washington Post]

We asked some of our favorite authors what they’re reading through the rest of this year. Their recommendations include fiction, graphic novels, memoirs, and more.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Recommended by Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere and Our Missing Hearts (out Oct. 4).

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. Recommended by Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of The Other Black Girl.

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park; translated by Anton Hur. Recommended by Mary H.K. Choi, author of Yolk and Emergency Contact.

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. Recommended by Sabaa Tahir, author of All My Rage and the An Ember in the Ashes quartet.

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson. Recommended by Courtney Summers, author of Sadie.

Birds of California by Katie Cotugno. Recommended by Elissa Sussman, author of Funny You Should Ask.

Matrix by Lauren Groff. Recommended by Malinda Lo, author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club and the forthcoming companion novel A Scatter of Light (out Oct. 4).

...

Click through to see more titles.