#cafe con lychee

[lucky-numberme]

They're scheming :3

12/20 Queer Book Draw Challenge: Café con Lychee by @emeryleewho

[ID: a drawing of Gabi and Theo in pastels surrounded by a deep purple frame. One of Gabi's arms is around Theo's shoulder while he gestures enthusiastically. His face is open and excited. Theo smiles back at him, an eyebrow lifted slightly. Around them, a cup with a "Café con Lychee" logo pours a stylized wave of coffee with lychee jelly. End ID]

ko-fi | commissions

[hobbieswithhobbit]

Hi! So, after looking at Spotify Wrapped and getting the notification for my Goodreads' Year in Books, I decided to create some graphics looking back at my Year in Books. Here they are!

What do we think?

(Info: The only app I've used to create these graphics is Canva, with data taken from my Goodreads and Storygraph. This work is original.)

[lgbtqreads]

Happy AAPI Heritage Month!

Happy AAPI Heritage Month!

Happy Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month! May is a fabulous month to celebrate all these books and authors, so if there are any missing from your bookshelf, please use the links below to rectify that! (They are indeed affiliate links, so a percentage of your purchase goes to supporting LGBTQReads.) See a fave of yours that is or isn’t mentioned here? Please recommend it in the…

[argan314]

Theo Mori constantly playing a game of "am I the asshole" with himself is so fucking relatable

[ijustkindalikebooks]

Light reading!

[starboydreamy]

i think theo mori would listen to McCafferty

[richincolor]

New Releases

Quite a few YA books by BIPOC creators are launching this week! Are any of these on your TBR pile?

Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester

Verónica, a Peruvian‑American teen, must deal with both her painful hip dysplasia and her overprotective immigrant parents, all while chasing her dream to become a professional mermaid in this gorgeously written, authentic novel about secrets and finding your wings (or tail).

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

A powerful, gripping YA novel about the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths, and the undeniable power of hope, by New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed. Perfect for fans of Sadie and Dear Martin.

Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy. Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist—and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering. Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.

This gripping and powerful book uses an innovative format and lyrical prose to expose the evil that exists in front of us, and the silent complicity of the privileged who create alternative facts to bend the truth to their liking.

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson

In this complex and emotionally resonant novel, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person—and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.

Lou has enough confusion in front of her this summer. She’ll be working in her family’s ice cream shack with her newly ex-boyfriend—whose kisses never made her feel desire, only discomfort—and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word. But when she gets a letter from her biological father—a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life—Lou immediately knows that she cannot meet him, no matter how much he insists.

While King’s friendship makes Lou feel safer and warmer than she would have thought possible, when her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever.

A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan

Mina Rahman has a plan for her future: • Finally win the Golden Ivy student film competition • Get into her dream school across the country • Leave New York City behind once and for all

Mina’s ticket to winning the competition falls into her lap when indie film star—and known heartbreaker—Emmitt Ramos enrolls in her high school under a secret identity to research his next role. When Mina sets out to persuade Emmitt to join her cause, he offers her a deal instead: he’ll be in her short film…if she acts as a tour guide to help him with a photography contest.

As Mina ventures across the five boroughs with Emmitt by her side, the city she grew up in starts to look different and more like home than it ever has before. With the competition deadline looming, Mina’s dreams—which once seemed impenetrable—begin to crumble, and she’s forced to ask herself: Is winning worth losing everything?

The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero

Magic will burn you up.

Sent to stay with her aunt in Prague and witness the humble life of an artist, Ilana Lopez—a biracial Jewish girl—finds herself torn between her dream of becoming a violinist and her immigrant parents’ desire for her to pursue a more stable career.

When she discovers a forgotten Jewish cemetery behind her aunt’s cottage, she meets the ghost of a kindhearted boy named Benjamin, who died over a century ago. As Ilana restores Benjamin’s grave, he introduces her to the enchanted side of Prague, where ghosts walk the streets and their kisses have warmth. But Benjamin isn’t the only one interested in Ilana. Rudolph Wassermann, a man with no shadow, has become fascinated with her and the music she plays. He offers to share his magic, so Ilana can be with Benjamin and pursue her passion for violin. But after Ilana discovers the truth about Wassermann and how Benjamin became bound to the city, she resolves to save the boy she loves, even if it means losing him—forever.

With spellbinding verse prose, R.M. Romero channels the spirit of myth into a brilliantly original tale, inspired by her experiences restoring Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe.

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee Sometimes bitter rivalries can brew something sweet

Theo Mori wants to escape. Leaving Vermont for college means getting away from working at his parents’ Asian American café and dealing with their archrivals’ hopeless son Gabi who’s lost the soccer team more games than Theo can count. Gabi Moreno is miserably stuck in the closet. Forced to play soccer to hide his love for dance and iced out by Theo, the only openly gay guy at school, Gabi’s only reprieve is his parents’ Puerto Rican bakery and his plans to take over after graduation.

But the town’s new fusion café changes everything. Between the Mori’s struggling shop and the Moreno’s plan to sell their bakery in the face of the competition, both boys find their dreams in jeopardy. Then Theo has an idea—sell photo-worthy food covertly at school to offset their losses. When he sprains his wrist and Gabi gets roped in to help, they realize they need to work together to save their parents’ shops but will the new feelings rising between them be enough to send their future plans up in smoke?

Bright (Shine #2) by Jessica Jung Couture gowns, press parties, international travel. Rachel Kim is at the top of her game. Girls Forever is now the number-one K-pop group in the world, and her fame skyrockets after her viral airport styling attracts the attention of fashion’s biggest names. Her life’s a swirl of technicolor glamour and adoring fans. Rachel can’t imagine shining any brighter.

The only thing that’s missing is love—but Rachel’s determined to follow the rules. In her world, falling in love can cost you everything.

Enter Alex. When Rachel literally falls head over designer heels into his lap on a crowded metro, she’s tempted to give up her anti-love vows. Alex is more than just heart-stopping dimples and adorably quirky banter. He believes in Rachel’s future—both in music and in fashion.

But the higher you rise, the farther you have to fall. And when a shocking act of betrayal shatters her world, Rachel must finally listen to her heart.

Only on the Weekends by Dean Atta

Mack. Karim. Finlay. Mack never thought he’d find love, let alone with two people. Will he make the right choice? And can love last for ever? A must-read queer love story for fans of Sex Education, written in verse by Dean Atta.

Fifteen-year-old Mack is a hopeless romantic – he blames the films he’s grown up watching. He has liked Karim for as long as he can remember, and is ecstatic when Karim becomes his boyfriend – it feels like love.

But when Mack’s dad gets a job on a film in Scotland, Mack has to move, and soon hediscovers how painful love can be. It’s horrible being so far away from Karim, but the worst part is that Karim doesn’t make the effort to visit. Love shouldn’t be only on the weekends.

Then, when Mack meets actor Finlay on a film set, he experiences something powerful, a feeling like love at first sight. How long until he tells Karim – and when will his old life and new life collide?

[ndcharacters]

Theo Mori from Café Con Lychee has ADHD

[idy6]

Café con leche

No puedo olvidar la primera vez que nos miramos a los ojos, ni como me hechizaste con tu bella perfección.

En ese momento, me cautivaste como el café con leche me cautiva en el mañana. Y después de ese instante a un no puedo desprenderte de mi mente.

- Idy 🐼❄

[lizslazylibrary]

i love queer love

[queer-and-dear-books]

Title: Cafe Con Lychee

Author: Emery Lee

Genre: YA Fiction | Drama | Romance | Food | LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Homophobia

Overall Rating: 8.3/10

Personal Opinion: A charming love story about good food and enemies turning to lovers, what more could you want? Theo Mori and Gabi Moreno are the sons of parents that own competing businesses. So naturally, they’re enemies. They hate each other’s guts. Or at least, Theo hates Gabi. In truth, Gabi has always admired Theo. Not just because Theo is living out and proud, something he can only wish he did. But how will admiration evolve into romance? You’ll just have to read to find out.

Couple Classification: Theo Mori X Gabi Moreno = Jock X Nerd

Do I Own This Book? Nope.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- I am a sucker for two things in stories. Food and Gaysians. This has both those things. I mean, I have a few gripes with Theo but overall I enjoyed his passion. The food though. I’ve got a borderline addiction to boba and every time it was mentioned and how popular it was, I felt… validated. Maybe because I went to college in Vermont and I didn’t find any places that sold boba. Oh yeah, this book takes place in Vermont and it mentioned Lake Champlain so again, I felt seen. Basically, I’m saying that there was a lot in this book that I personally related to and that gives it bonus good points in my book.

- I think the thing that I had appreciated the most was that people took accountability for their actions. Meli apologized for being a lousy friend and Gabi did the same. Justin said sorry for pushing Theo away and Theo said sorry for making everything about him. Gabi also apologized to Justin for meddling with his love life, Theo’s parents apologized for making him feel like he was to blame for everything, Gabi’s parents apologized for… well, everything. It doesn’t really make up for shit and Gabi also acknowledges that Meli will probably make mistakes again but it’s a start. Unfortunately, I would have liked it if Meli had followed up her apology with a promise she could actually keep but again, it’s a start.

- I think there is nothing more romantic in this book than when Gabi was gushing about Theo. Theo fully believed that he’s a disappointment and he’s full of self-loathing. The fact that, even before he fell for him, Gabi saw these incredible traits in Theo (his athleticism, his intelligence, his work ethic) is just so charming. Also, admiration turning romantic is one of my favorite tropes.

- Theo’s parents being so giddy about the homecoming dance was so cute to me. Just Theo’s dad lending them his suit jackets and ties and his mom wanting to take a bunch of photos. That kind of shit is so cheesy but it’s good shit.

- The title is super clever to me. It’s good wordplay and fits with the themes of the book. Especially since so much of the food stuff in the story was about weird fusions. Now, that being said, coffee with lychee sounds disgusting. I mention this because apparently, it’s not just the title of the book and the name of the new cafe they’re opening (super cute), but it’s also an actual menu item that Theo and Gabi sold. I cannot imagine it being a best-seller because it truly does not sound like it tastes good. However, I hate coffee so maybe that’s just me. 

- Thomas doing drag was a twist. I don’t know what he’s questioning when it comes to his identity but him doing drag was never something I had imagined. And I love it.

- I also love Theo’s mom standing up for herself against Greg because fuck Greg. Like Theo said, that was amazing.

Dislikes:

- Gabi’s parents are a mess. And Theo’s aren’t much better but they put in a lot of effort in the last few chapters. I bring this up because blood families treating their kids like shit never sit well with me. Sixteen years of being homophobic is… ugh. Gabi says himself that their apology doesn’t make up for all that, so like, I’m trying to look past it but I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I read so many stories with chosen families supporting one another unconditionally and this book just did not have that. Justin and Meli were both kind of lousy friends at times. I didn’t feel like they were actual best friends with either of the protagonists. So when the parents aren’t great and the friends aren’t great, I’m left at a loss for the relationships I like. Is the only one between Theo and Gabi? Because if so, that’s kind of lame.

- Theo is not the most likeable protagonist. He’s very negative and it is so draining. There’s not really anything wrong with a less than outgoing main character but Theo just made me feel tired. I think it was too much like looking in a mirror. Inferiority complex with his brother, self-loathing concerning his sexuality and his parents’ views on it, and overall just thinking you’re inadequate. It was depressing. Plus, there’s also all his unreasonable hatred toward Gabi in the beginning. It was so aggressive and I just felt bad for Gabi. At least he was able to admit to himself later that it was unreasonable. But it was still a lot.

- Uncle Greg is the real worst though. Glad he got put in his place in the end.

- I cringed way too hard at Gabi not wanting to share a drink with Justin and saying, “But I’m not gay.” I’m glad he apologized (and also came out) two chapters later but oh my god, I had to stop reading for a bit because I felt my soul exit my body. My guy, straight people can share a damn cup.

[nataliekabra]

oof theo chill

[candidcover]

(via Review: Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee)

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee combines rival restaurants with secret scheming in a story of unlikely friendship and embracing one’s true self. As a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, I enjoyed the dynamic between Theo and Gabi as they come together to save their family restaurants, and the differing dynamics between both families are well-written. This book is both entertaining and heartbreaking, and it is perfect for those who enjoy a contemporary that delves into more serious themes.

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: May 10, 2022

New Releases: May 10, 2022

Children’s Mighty Red Riding Hood: A Fairly Queer Tale by Wallace West In this clever twist on a traditional tale, a boy who loves his frilly, swishy riding hood turns the tables on a big, bad, bullying wolf! Better not mess with Little Red when he’s got on his favorite frilly red riding hood! It makes him feel happier than a pig in mud, more special than a birthday cake, and mighty as a…

[argan314]

Gabi: You know how you always wanted a son who was a soccer star?

Gabi's Dad: Did you win the big game?

Gabi: What? No, but this is my boyfriend.

Theo: 'Sup.

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]