Category: Diversity

Book Reviews, Diversity, Fantasy, Historical FictionLeave a comment

The Fox Wife

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this affect my review or my rating of the novel. The Fox Wife is a fantasy novel about a detective named Bao, who was left with a magical ability to detect lies ever since an encounter with a fox god in his youth. After a courtesan is found dead in a doorway in the middle of the winter, Bao begins pursuing rumors of a mysterious … Continue reading The Fox Wife

Book Reviews, Diversity, Drama, Historical FictionLeave a comment

The Storm We Made

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this affect my review or my rating of the novel. The Storm We Made is a historical fiction novel set during the Japanese occupation of Malaya that follows the Alcantara family. When the Japanese invade Malaya, local families initially hope that this will be a good change from British control, with talks of an Asia for Asians, more opportunities for growth and education. However, … Continue reading The Storm We Made

Book Reviews, Diversity, Historical Fiction, Science FictionLeave a comment

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a sci-fi novel based on the old H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, in which a French doctor and scientist settles on the Yucatan Peninsula to create animal-human hybrids. Dr. Moreau has been working under the patronage of Lizalde, a wealthy landowner, for years, and Lizalde has been growing increasingly impatient with his lack of results. When Lizalde’s son Eduardo comes to visit in hopes of taking some of Dr. Moreau’s men or hybrid experiments with … Continue reading The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Book Reviews, Diversity, Historical Fiction, Horror, Romance1 Comment

Vampires of El Norte

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas Vampires of El Norte is a historical horror novel about Nena, the daughter of a wealthy rancher in 1840s Mexico, and Nestor, a vaquero on her father’s ranch. Nena and Nestor were best friends in childhood, their friendship turning into intimacy as they approach young adulthood, but after Nena is attacked by a monster in the middle of the night, Nestor believes that Nena is dead and flees the ranch, spending the next decade hopping from job to job, chasing a dream of owning his … Continue reading Vampires of El Norte

Book Reviews, Diversity, RomanceLeave a comment

Valentine’s Day Read: Technically Yours

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… Technically Yours by Denise Williams Technically Yours is a romance novel about Pearl Harris, a young woman in tech who has always valued “head over heart” since a bad breakup in college. Several years ago, Pearl moved to California to jumpstart her tech career, and left behind a half-baked relationship with her former boss to avoid emotional entanglements. Now Pearl has moved back home to be closer to family, and is the acting director of OurCode, a nonprofit that supports and inspires teenagers with an interest in tech. However, she finds herself … Continue reading Valentine’s Day Read: Technically Yours

Book Reviews, Diversity, Historical Fiction, HorrorLeave a comment

The Reformatory

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… The Reformatory by Tananarive Due The Reformatory is a horror novel about Robbie Stephens, Jr., a twelve-year-old boy living in Gracetown, Florida who kicks a local white boy in defense of his older sister, and is sent to the Gracetown School for Boys, a local youth detention center known for abusing and sometimes killing the children who live inside. Robbie has always been able to see the haints in Gracetown, but now inside the reformatory, he sees more than ever before, and sometimes cannot tell which boys are alive and which are … Continue reading The Reformatory

Book Reviews, Diversity, Romance, Young Adult FictionLeave a comment

Christmas Read: Love in Winter Wonderland

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this affect my review or my rating of the novel. Love in Winter Wonderland is a YA romance about Trey and Ariel, two high school students who come together in an effort to save Trey’s family bookshop called Wonderland. Trey has been in a long-term relationship with Blaire, the popular but shallow half of a set of twins, and he has always felt like … Continue reading Christmas Read: Love in Winter Wonderland

Book Reviews, Diversity, Magical Realism, Mystery, ThrillerLeave a comment

My Thanksgiving Read: Sisters of the Lost Nation

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina Sisters of the Lost Nation is a novel about Anna Horn, a young native woman working in housekeeping at her tribe’s casino and resort, who has been haunted by a myth from her tribe since she was a young child. Her constant fear of the rolling head of a previous tribal leader has gotten her mocked by others in her class, and has driven a wedge between herself and her younger sister Grace, who just wants to fit in and not be associated with … Continue reading My Thanksgiving Read: Sisters of the Lost Nation

Autism, Book Reviews, Diversity, Science Fiction, Thriller1 Comment

An Unkindness of Ghosts

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon An Unkindness of Ghosts is a science fiction novel about Aster, a young black woman living on the generation ship the HSS Matilda, where roles and hierarchy are strictly divided among racial lines in a structure reminiscent of the U.S. Confederate States prior to the Civil War. Aster is a brilliant young woman (and almost certainly coded autistic) whose mother committed suicide when Aster was extremely young, and when the ship’s sovereign dies in a way reminiscent of Aster’s mother, Aster starts investigating the end … Continue reading An Unkindness of Ghosts

Book Reviews, Diversity, Horror1 Comment

Out There Screaming

The Perspicacious Bookworm

You might like this book if you liked… Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this affect my review or my rating of the novel. Out There Screaming is a new collection of short stories inspired by a deeply disturbing scene in Jordan Peele’s Get Out: if you were trapped in a place that is haunted by your worst fears, what does that place look like? It looks a little different in every … Continue reading Out There Screaming