{Watch, Read, & Listen} WandaVision, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, & Rad Child Podcast

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch

WandaVision on Disney+ (2021)

Written by Jac Schaeffer

Starring Elizabeth Olson, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn

Marvel Studios' captivating new series "WandaVision," which premieres in early 2021 on Disney+. Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, "WandaVision" marks the first series from Marvel Studios streaming exclusively on Disney+. The series is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision—two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

Read

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Publication date: January 19, 2021

Acclaimed author of Ash, Malinda Lo, returns with her most personal and ambitious novel yet, a gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare. 

“Do you hear me? Everyone knows you're a good Chinese girl. This is just a mistake." 

For Lily Hu, "good Chinese girl" feels like a mask she's only recently discovered she's been wearing. Or worse, like a trap—one that finally sprung the night she walked through the door into the Telegraph Club with Kathleen Miller. She's known Kath since they were first in math together in junior high. Now they're the last two senior girls in advanced math, and Lily can't deny that what she feels with Kath is about much more than calculus. 

For most people, the Telegraph Club is only another dingy lesbian nightclub just beyond the border of Chinatown, but for Lily and Kath it might as well be another planet. 

Balancing her family's need to present an ideal American facade with her unmistakeable desire for Kath would never be easy, but with deportation suddenly looming over her her Chinese-born father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily's awakening to her true self seems doomed to be short-lived.

Listen

Rad Child Podcast

Friendly reminder that Black lives still and will always matter -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (more protest tips here and here), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree, blacklivesmatter.carrd.co, and blmsites.carrd.co. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔ 

Philippines has been devastated by multiple typhoons within the span of two months, destroying thousands of homes, displacing thousands of Filipinos, and leaving many without running water or electricity. Please consider donating to relief and recovery efforts if/when you're able to. Little can go a long way - no amount is too small, so don't let that discourage from donating. Please show up for fellow communities in the Global South. Info and safe places to donate to PH victims + families can be found on RescuePH carrd, RescuePH int'l carrd, BangonPH carrd, Youth Rise PH Linktree, PH Red Cross, Kaya Natin! Movement, book drives, and watch these YouTube ads at no cost to you. Also worth adding: continue to help PH #JunkTerrorLaw with junkterrorlaw.carrd.co and parasapinas.carrd.co.

Resources + educational tools on what's going on around the world right now and ways to help: worldissues.carrd.co | issuesintheworld.carrd.co | getinformed.carrd.co | currentinfo.carrd.co | dotherightthing.carrd.co | allcards.carrd.co

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Jingle Jangle, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, & Closure

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix (2020)

In the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle's (Forest Whitaker) fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it's up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (Madalen Mills) - and a long-forgotten invention - to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Madalen Mills, Anika Noni Rose

Written/directed by David E. Talbert

If you're looking for a wholesome and magical Christmas movie to watch with your loved ones, look no further than Jingle Jangle. It's whimsical and perfect to get you in the holiday or winter spirit.

Read: When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo

The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger. To stay alive until the mammoths can save them, Chih must unwind the intricate, layered story of the tiger and her scholar lover—a woman of courage, intelligence, and beauty—and discover how truth can survive becoming history. 

Nghi Vo returns to the empire of Ahn and The Singing Hills Cycle in this mesmerizing, lush standalone follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune.

Related post: {Story Diary} The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Listen: closure -- Taylor Swift

Friendly reminder that Black lives still and will always matter -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (more protest tips here and here), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree, blacklivesmatter.carrd.co, and blmsites.carrd.co. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔ 

Philippines has been devastated by multiple typhoons within the span of two months, destroying thousands of homes, displacing thousands of Filipinos, and leaving many without running water or electricity. Please consider donating to relief and recovery efforts if/when you're able to. Little can go a long way - no amount is too small, so don't let that discourage from donating. Please show up for fellow communities in the Global South. Info and safe places to donate to PH victims + families can be found on RescuePH carrd, RescuePH int'l carrd, BangonPH carrd, Youth Rise PH Linktree, PH Red Cross, Kaya Natin! Movement, book drives, and watch these YouTube ads at no cost to you. Also worth adding: continue to help PH #JunkTerrorLaw with junkterrorlaw.carrd.co and parasapinas.carrd.co

Resources + educational tools on what's going on around the world right now and ways to help: 

worldissues.carrd.co | issuesintheworld.carrd.co | getinformed.carrd.co | currentinfo.carrd.co | dotherightthing.carrd.co | allcards.carrd.co

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Billie and Emma, God Storm, & Commander in Chief

 

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: Billie and Emma (2018) 🌈

Set in the mid-90's, the film tells the story of Billie, a troublemaker from the big city, who finds herself exiled to San Isidro to live with her spinster aunt who is also the town's religion teacher. Determined to change her ways and get through the last year of high school without incident, Billie hides herself from the world until she meets Emma, the ambitious, star student who coaxes Billie out of her shell. They soon fall in love but things get complicated when Emma finds out that she's pregnant. Together, they explore the fleeting nature of love and life on this journey of growth, laughter and music. 

Directed/written by Samantha Lee

Starring Gabby Padilla, Zar Donato, Beauty Gonzalez

Rep: Filipino lesbian main characters

 

May I implore you a few minutes of your time to brush up on what's going on in the Philippines and ways to help Filipinos, whether it be by donating, signing petitions, calling Philippine lawmakers to veto the Anti-Terror Law, or by simply amplifying Filipino voices: junkterrorbill.carrd.co and parasapinas.carrd.co

Read: God Storm by Coco Ma

Everything has a price. 

In the kingdom of Axaria, a darkness has fallen. After defeating the evil mother who summoned an immortal demon to kill her, newly coronated Queen Asterin Faelenhart should have every reason to celebrate. Her kingdom is safe, forbidden magic eradicated, and her friends are alive. Except Asterin’s triumph has come at a devastating cost - forced to choose between a lifelong friend and true love, she’s lost both. But the shadows in Axaria have begun to stir once again, and no one is more starved for vengeance than Asterin.... 

Yet it soon becomes clear that the shadows plaguing her kingdom are just the beginning. Another realm coexists with the mortal world - the beautiful, nightmarish Immortal Realm ruled by the wicked God of Shadow, King Eoin. When their paths entwine, Asterin realizes that Eoin possesses exactly what - and who - she seeks most. And the fates of all those that she holds dear - Orion, her missing Guardian; Luna, the friend she could not save; Harry, the demon who saved them all; and Quinlan, her beloved broken prince - ultimately rest in the god’s hands. 

But in a world of magic, not everyone is always as they seem. When shocking discoveries threaten everything and everyone Asterin has sworn her life to protect, she won’t be the only person forced to make a choice...a choice that will change the mortal world forever. 

And maybe even destroy it.

Publication date: October 20, 2020

God Storm is the sequel to Shadow Frost, out now! If you haven't read the first book yet, Shadow Frost is on sale on e-retailers for a limited time.

Listen: Commander in Chief -- Demi Lovato

It's election season in the U.S. and there's much work to do to secure our democracy and rights for all Americans. Election day is next week on November 3rd, so if you haven't voted yet, please peruse vote.org, voteathome.org, voternetwork.us, ballotready.org, ballotpedia.org to help you with your ballots and to vote safely. Know Your Voting Rights with this resource by ACLU in case you run into problems at the polling place. For the Election Protection Hotline: call 1-(866) OUR-VOTE. If you want to get out the vote in key states, text/phonebank voters with NILC Justice Immigrant Fund, ACLU People Power, Indivisible Guide, and Swing Left.

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (more protest tips here and here), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. 

More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree, blacklivesmatter.carrd.co, and blmsites.carrd.co. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Kiss the Ground, The Pōrangi Boy, & I'm Not Mad

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥ 

Watch: Kiss the Ground documentary on Netflix (2020)

A revolutionary group of activists, scientists, farmers, and politicians band together in a global movement of "Regenerative Agriculture" that could balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world.

Resources to utilize to help fight climate change - including orgs to volunteer/donate to, call scripts to your Senators + Reps, sign petitions, and more:

Cultural Survival

Earth Guardians

Environmental Defense Fund

The Natural Resources Defense Council

Earthjustice

Sierra Club

350

Friends of the Earth

Fashion Revolution

One Tree Planted

Rainforest Action Network

Clean Water Action

The Nature Conservancy

World Wildlife Fund

Oceana

Urban Habitat

Cool Effect

Greenpeace

Regeneration International

Sustainable Harvest International

Kiss The Ground

Call your members of Congress to pass H.Res.109 with this call script by indivisible.org or 5calls.org, urge your Senators to support HR 9 with this call script by 5calls.org, urge your members of Congress to act on the climate change crisis with this script by 5calls.org, and ask your Senators to pass HR 1146 to protect Alaska's wildlife refuge with this call script also by 5calls.org.

Read: The Pōrangi Boy by Shilo Kino

Twelve-year-old Niko lives in Pohe Bay, a small, rural town with a sacred hot spring and a taniwha named Taukere. The government wants to build a prison over the home of the taniwha, and Niko's grandfather is busy protesting. People call him porangi, crazy, but when he dies, it's up to Niko to convince his community that the taniwha is real and stop the prison from being built. With help from his friend Wai, Niko must unite his whanau, honour his grandfather and stand up to his childhood bully.

This book is available on New Zealand retailers such as Huia and The Women's Bookshop.

Listen: I'm Not Mad -- Halsey 🌈

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (more protest tips here and here), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members.

More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree, blacklivesmatter.carrd.co, and blmsites.carrd.co. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Yellow Rose, Black Sun, & I'm Over You

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: Yellow Rose (2020)

Rose, an undocumented Filipino girl, dreams of one day leaving her small Texas town to pursue her country music dreams. Her world is shattered when her mom suddenly gets picked up by immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rose, facing this new reality, is forced to flee the scene, leaving behind the only life she knows, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she searches for a new home in the honky tonk world of Austin, Texas.

Directed/written by Diane Paragas; story by Andy Bienen 

Starring Eva Noblezada, Lea Salonga, Gustavo Gomez, Princess Punzalan

See showtimes on the official yellowrosefilm.com website.

Side note: happy Filipino American Heritage month to my fellow Fil-Am's! Let's help out our people in the homeland: junkterrorbill.carrd.co and parasapinas.carrd.co

Read: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic. 

A god will return

When the earth and sky converge

Under the black sun 

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. 

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain. 

Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created an epic adventure exploring the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in the most original series debut of the decade.

Publication date: October 13, 2020

Check this space tomorrow to find out why Black Sun is one of the best books I've ever read.

Listen: I'm Over You -- Matt Marcii x Andrea Ekeli

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (more protest tips here and here), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. 

More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree, blacklivesmatter.carrd.co, and blmsites.carrd.co. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Mulan: Rise of a Warrior, Cemetery Boys, & QueerWOC podcast

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: Mulan - Rise of a Warrior (2009)

The epic story of the Chinese girl-warrior, Mulan, who fights to defend her father.

Directors: Jingle Ma, Wei Dong

Writers: Jingle Ma, Ting Zhang

Starring: Wei Zhao, Kun Chen, Jaycee Chan

If you want a nuanced and more accurate adaption of Mulan, written/directed by Chinese filmmakers, this is one of them. English subtitles available. Save yourself $30 extra from the Disney+ adaption and watch this one instead.

Read: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas 🌈

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

Publication date: September 1, 2020

Rep: Latinx trans MC, Latinx trans author, Latinx cast, mlm relationship

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | iBooks | Half Price Books | Indiebound | Bookshop | Better World Books (INT'L) | Book Depository (INT'L)

Listen: QueerWOC podcast 🌈

QueerWOC: The Podcast · Ep 91: Women of Color Queers

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (more protest tips here and here), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members.

Also, consider donating to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund and/or donating directly to Jacob Blake's family fund to help him recover from the paralyzing wounds Kenosha cops caused him. Sign this petition to charge the officer who tried to kill him. (Reminder: Don't donate to change.org)

More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree, blacklivesmatter.carrd.co, and blmsites.carrd.co. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

Support the Trans community and creators and their work. Donate to the homeless Black women trans fund, buy books by trans and nonbinary authors, more trans + enby authors to support, help a queer children's bookstore get off the ground, donate directly to trans individuals funds, volunteer/donate to Human Rights Campaign, and check out this thread with other ways to support trans and enby creators here and here. Don't forget that you can also help in other ways by volunteering or joining their programs for LGBTQ+ rights orgs like (but not limited to): LGBTQ Freedom Fund, Trans Youth Equality Foundation, Trans Women of Color Collective, National Center for transgender Equality, Trans Lifeline, and a list of more orgs here and here. 🌈

{Watch, Read, & Listen} All Together Now, Crowning Soul, & SOMI

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: All Together Now on Netflix (2020)

Amber Appleton (Auli'i Cravalho) remains an optimist even when her personal life is far less stable than it appears on the surface. A musically gifted high school student with aspirations to attend Carnegie Mellon, Amber balances her beloved high school drama club helmed by Mr. Franks (Fred Armisen) with working long hours at a donut shop to help support herself and her down-on-her-luck single mom (Justina Machado). She also spends time at the local retirement community, giving care and attention to her favorite pessimistic resident (Carol Burnett). When new obstacles present themselves that threaten her dreams, Amber must learn to lean on the strength of her chosen family to move forward.

Starring Auli'i Cravalho, Rhenzy Feliz, Justina Machado

Read: Crowning Soul by Sahira Javaid

Be swept away in this unique fantasy debut from Sahira Javaid. A spellbinding adventure of belonging, finding hope and where the price of a soul is another soul’s fate. Perfect for fans of InuYasha, Children of Blood and Bone and The Candle and The Flame.

Nezha Zaman considers her gift to control fire a dangerous secret. A secret that unravels when she encounters a vengeful shadow jinni in a maze garden that has been stalking her family, and knows about her power. Weeks after seeing the demonic being, Nezha is torn from her world through her backyard pond and transported to another dimension which sought out the light inside her heart.

Nezha learns from two unicorns that the dimension is her family’s roots, and the light is a fragment of an angel’s shattered soul. The three must work together to find the soul’s shards in a land teeming with shape-shifting jinn. If Nezha fails to stop the corrupted Iron Prince, the malevolent jinn at his side will shatter her soul next.

Publication date: September 8, 2020

I've had the opportunity to read an advanced review copy of Crowning Soul and I absolutely enjoyed this fantasy story from Sahira Javaid. It's rich with lush world-building, culture, magic, nuances, and fierce, lively characters. Highly recommend! I hope you consider picking this one up tomorrow. 😊

Listen: What You Waiting For -- SOMI

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (more protest tips here and here), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members.

Also, consider donating to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund and/or donating directly to Jacob Blake's family fund to help him recover from the paralyzing wounds Kenosha cops caused him. Sign this petition to charge the officer who tried to kill him. (Note: Don't donate to change.org)

More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree, blacklivesmatter.carrd.co, and blmsites.carrd.co. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Lingua Franca, Elatsoe, & Birthday

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: Lingua Franca (2020)

Olivia (Isabel Sandoval), an undocumented Filipino transwoman, works as a caregiver to Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. When Olivia runs out of options to attain legal status in the US, she becomes romantically involved with Alex (Eamon Farren), Olga's adult grandson, in the pursuit of a marriage-based green card.

Directed and written by Isabel Sandoval

Starring: Isabel Sandoval, Lynn Cohen, Eamon Farren

Rep: trans Filipino MC

Please take a minute to consider signing petitions, sending an email and/or donating to help Filipinos #JunkTerrorLaw. This newly implemented law strips Filipinos of their rights to dissent and has already killed activists, and it needs to be repealed immediately. More ways to help from wherever you are can be found on junkterrorbill.carrd.co and parasapinas.carrd.co

Read: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, Rovina Cai

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It’s got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.

There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.

Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Listen: Birthday -- Anne-Marie

Since my birthday is tomorrow, why not a birthday song recommendation for this week?

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely (protect yourselves), emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. 

Also, consider donating to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund and/or donating directly to Jacob Blake's family fund to help him recover from the paralyzing wounds Kenosha cops caused him. Sign this petition to charge the officer who tried to kill him.

More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Paper Children, Where Dreams Descend, & I Can't Breathe

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: Paper Children (Niños de Papel)

PAPER CHILDREN IS THE STORY OF 4 SIBLINGS WHO FLED GANG VIOLENCE IN HONDURAS TO SEEK SAFETY IN THE US. THE STORY BEGINS WHERE MOST IMMIGRATION STORIES HOPE TO END—WITH A FAMILY REUNITED AND SEEMINGLY SAFE (JUST HOW SAFE THEY REALLY ARE, REMAINS TO BE SEEN) IN MIAMI, FLORIDA. THE FILM’S APPROACH IS DEEPLY INTIMATE, CIRCUMVENTING THE POLITICS AND ANGER THAT SURROUND IMMIGRATION WITH EVERYDAY IMAGES OF LOVE, FAMILY, HEALING, AND RESILIENCE.

Directed by Alexandra Codina

From latinofilm.org: If you were moved by Fernando’s story, we encourage you to support Catholic Legal Services of Miami, who offer free legal representation to him and his siblings. Children and adults who appear in immigration courts are not entitled to a lawyer. Roughly 90% of children who do not have legal representation in immigration proceedings are denied.

Please also support and donate (if/when you can) to KIND (Kids In Need of Defense), RAICES, NILC (National Immigration Law Center), NILC Immigrant Justice Fund, and The National Immigration Project to help reunite immigrant kids with their families, citizenship applications, asylum processes, as well as legal assistance for immigration trials and more.

Read: Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide

Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.

This spellbinding fantasy is absolutely fantastic and magical, and fans of The Night Circus, Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera will devour until the very last line, leaving you wanting the sequel immediately. I was fortunate enough to read an advanced review copy and I was absolutely mesmerized. Can't recommend this enough. You can buy Where Dreams Descend tomorrow (8/25)!

Listen: I Can't Breathe -- H.E.R.

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely, emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. 

Kenosha, WI needs help as the community marches for accountability of the officers who shot Jacob Blake over the weekend and you can help by donating to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund. Or consider donating directly to Jacob Blake's family fund to help him recover and sign this petition to charge the cops who tried to kill him.

More ways to help support Black people and the BLM movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} We Are the Radical Monarchs, Dating Makes Perfect, & Hood Feminism podcast

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: We Are the Radical Monarchs on PBS

A group of tween girls chant into megaphones, marching in the San Francisco TransMarch. Holding clenched fists high, they wear brown berets and vests showcasing colorful badges like “Black Lives Matter” and “Radical Beauty.” Meet the Radical Monarchs, a group of young girls of color at the front lines of social justice.

Set in Oakland, a city with a deep history of social justice movements, WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS documents the Radical Monarchs - an alternative to the Scout movement for girls of color, aged 8-13. Its members earn badges for completing units on social justice including being an LGBTQ ally, the environment, and disability justice. The group was started by two, fierce, queer women of color, Anayvette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest as a way to address and center her daughter's experience as a young brown girl. Their work is anchored in the belief that adolescent girls of color need dedicated spaces and that the foundation for this innovative work must also be rooted in fierce inter-dependent sisterhood, self-love, and hope.

Directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Katie Flint, Grace Lee

Read: Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn

The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. Not even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed.

Until now.

In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school.

In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster.

The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him.

If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.

Publication date: August 18, 2020

Check out my story diary feature for Dating Makes Perfect coming up on the blog later today! If you enjoy childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers fake dating tropes, tight sister kinships and rom-com's, then you will absolutely adore this book!

Listen: Hood Feminism podcast

There's now a book companion that you can read, out now!

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely, emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. More ways to help support Black people and the movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} I Am Not Your Negro, The Black Kids, & Three Black Chicks podcast

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend

my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: I Am Not Your Negro on Netflix (2016)

I Am Not Your Negro envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, a radical narration about race in America, using the writer’s original words, as read by actor Samuel L. Jackson. Alongside a flood of rich archival material, the film draws upon Baldwin’s notes on the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. to explore and bring a fresh and radical perspective to the current racial narrative in America.

Raoul Peck's Oscar-nominated documentary is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.

Created by Raoul Peck

Written by James Baldwin, Raoul Peck
Starring Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson

Read: The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots.

Los Angeles, 1992

Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.

Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.

As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.

With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?

Publication date: August 4, 2020

Listen: Three Black Chicks podcast

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions (updated often), donating (if/when you can), protesting safely, emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. More ways to help support Black people and the movement can be found on BLM's official Linktree. More resources can be found on the sidebar as well. ➔

{Watch, Read, & Listen} Immigration Nation, Lobizona, & La Diaspora

♥ watch, read & listen is a weekly feature where I share and recommend
my current movie, book, music and podcast obsessions every monday. ♥

Watch: Immigration Nation on Netflix (2020- )

With unprecedented access to ICE operations, as well as moving portraits of immigrants, this docuseries takes a deep look at US immigration today.

The series will examine the processes, pitfalls, and pain of immigration in America. Shot over the course of three years, Schwarz and Clusiau capture the daily workings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, activists, lawmakers, attorneys, and a wide swath of undocumented immigrants, from desperate recent arrivals to longtime residents to deported U.S. military combat veterans.

CW/TW: xenophobia, racism, detainment/interment camps, ICE brutality/arrests, illegal arrests

ICE agents and Border Patrol are still running rampant through our communities detaining immigrants (even those naturalized/with US citizenship) and "Hispanic-looking" people across the U.S. without warrants and while violating a number of Constitutional laws, especially during a global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests, and it's important to keep fighting for those ripped from their families and sponsors. This docuseries is an important and raw in-depth look into immigration in the U.S. ICE has tried to block Netflix from showing this docuseries. In this, you will see how "cruelty is the point" rings true for ICE. Below are ways you can do to help immigrants.

Ways to help protect immigrants lives/rights, gain citizenship, legal expenses and attorneys for their immigration trials, and reunite with their families:

Know Your Rights (if stopped by ICE/if ICE comes to your door): ACLU (English and Spanish), National Immigration Law Center (in 7 languages), American Friends Service Committee (English and Spanish)

KIND (Kids in Need of Defense): supportkind.org

RAICES: raicestexas.org

Support/donate to the NILC Immigration Justice Fund: immigrantjusticefund.org

Support TPS for Venezuelans: 5calls.org

Block Indefinite Detention of Migrant Families: 5calls.org

Support/donate to The National Immigration Project: nationalimmigrationproject.org

Low-cost Legal Help: immigrationlawhelp.org

Immigration Lawyers: American Immigration Lawyers Association

Read: Lobizona by Romina Garber

Some people ARE illegal.

Lobizonas do NOT exist.

Both of these statements are false.

Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.

Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.

Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past--a mysterious "Z" emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.

As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal. . . .it's her entire existence.

Publication date: August 4, 2020

Listen: LA Diaspora -- Nitty Scott x Zap Mama 🌈

Friendly reminder that Black lives still matter and that Black Lives Matter protests are still going on around the world -- Continue signing petitions, donating (if/when you can), protesting safely, emailing/calling your reps/AG/DA, register to vote/vote-by-mail, and educating yourself and family members. More resources can be found on the sidebar. ➔

[Updated on 8/4 to include: Lebanonnow carrd, Lebanon & Ways to Help, Lebanon Red Cross, Save the Children, Beirut Relief Fund, Medical Relief to Lebanon, Caritas Lebanon, Lebanese Food Bank,  Lebanon Needs, Beirut Port Relief Fund, Beirut Explosion Disaster Relief]