Library Representative blog - book reviews and advocacy for representation in literature

Reviews and bookish things

Free download: Lunar New Year information card

As a librarian and a racialized person, it's so important to me that our cultures are celebrated. Particularly for children, it's so...

Jan 26, 20251 min read

Libraries, representation, and Joanna Ho: Eyes that Kiss in the Corners

I had the immense joy of reading to little ones this evening at the local school library and book fair. It was wonderful to see such a...

Oct 24, 20242 min read

Sookh Kaur: Breaking Away

The spice got me; it got me so good, I still think about it. While there were some stylistic choices to which I did not align (explained...

Oct 19, 20245 min read

Clover Callahan: The Fate Date

Preamble Before getting into the details of this review, I should say that I received early access to this book via a free advanced...

Oct 3, 20243 min read

Elaine Alec: Calling my Spirit Back

Today marks the 4th annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Also known as Orange Shirt Day, it is a day we remember...

Sep 30, 20242 min read

Welcome to the blog!

This blog has been a long time coming! As a librarian and an English major, I’m a lover of reading. This blog gives me chance to share my...

Sep 29, 20241 min read

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Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧

#lunarnewyear2025 #yearofthesnake #luckyredenvelope #lunarnewyear #chinesenewyear #chinesenewyear2025
#representationmatters #aapi

I recently had the honour of making a dear little friend’s birthday treats! I’m going to take the liberty to lean into this and call it “Auntie Energy,” because in Asian culture, making food for others is a way of showing love. Food is often communal and a form of connection; it's very common across Asian cultures to ask if you have eaten or invite you to stay and eat as part of a greeting.

And to me, for a little one to ask you to make them something, it’s just such an honour. Yes, I would love to give you nourishment, even if in this case it’s mostly sugar ;) The sugary treats were completely handmade, from the stickers to match the theme, to tying every decorative bowtie.

Sweets of many kinds will be eaten starting next week as Lunar New Year celebrations officially kick off on January 29. @flo.lee.leung Flo Leung’s children’s book “Tray of Togetherness” is a wonderful read to learn about sweets often eaten in Chinese culture for Lunar New Year. @owlkidspublishing

It’s a time to celebrate and feast and be joyful! I invite you to lean into that same “Auntie Energy,” and celebrate and connect with your loved ones over food.

#lunarnewyear2025 #yearofthesnake #luckyredenvelope #lunarnewyear
#bookrepresentation #representationmatters
#childrenliterature
#kidslit
#kidsbooks
#aapi
#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #booklover #booktok #booklover

Lunar New Year is coming! It’s the biggest celebration of the year for many families of Eastern Asian ancestry. I’m getting ready to package these lucky red envelopes, which will be going to primary school kiddoes to share in education and celebration. I’ll be sharing the goodies that go inside in the next few days, including more book recommendations.

To start with, @Pacylin Grace Lin’s “Bringing in the New Year” is a great board book for little kids. I even find that 5-6 year olds love it. This book has colourful illustrations and does a great job of sharing Chinese culture in the Lunar New Year celebration.

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #booklover #canada #booktok #booklover
#lunarnewyear2025 #yearofthesnake #luckyredenvelope #lunarnewyear
#bookrepresentation #representationmatters #childrenliterature #kidslit #kidsbooks

As this year winds down, I would like to thank authors and fellow readers for their interest and support. 2024 marked my inaugural few months of officially sharing my love of representative literature!

After launching the blog and putting some reviews out there, I’m moving forward and staying in alignment with my values for BIPOC stories and representation. There will be less ARCs as I have found a lot of them don’t align with my areas of concern, which is great because those reviews are better served coming from elsewhere :)

As we close out 2024, here are two children’s books that I was so pumped to get for the famjam this year: from @ibtihajmuhammad and @skalibooks "The Boldest White," and from @bahram_rahman "Library Bus." We have all the “Proudest Blue” books, they are well loved in my family. As a librarian that has worked in STEM to help asylum seekers, I was so touched to come across the refugee story in "Library Bus."

In 2025 I’ll keep the representative book reviews and articles coming, so stay tuned!

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #canada #booktok #booklover #bookrepresentation
#representationmatters
#childrenliterature
#kidslit
#kidsbooks

First time for the whole family to eat Xiaolongbao together ❤️

Dumplings are symbolic in East Asian culture and are often eaten during big celebrations, like Lunar New Year.

They come with their own lore and history, all delicious and rich ❤️

We got these from Costco, I hope they are good!

What's your favourite kind of dumpling?

#culture #xiaolongbao #dumplings #asian

After having participated in a school library book fair today, I’d like to draw your attention to libraries and a great book by Joanna Ho.

The full post is on the blog, linked in bio, but an excerpt is below:

As a librarian and a volunteer reader tonight, it was an important opportunity to share both my love of reading and the stories of minority and underrepresented cultures.

I chose to read the beautiful “Eyes that Kiss in the Corners” by @joannahowrites . Her works are a favourite in my family, as her writing is known to be very lyrical with a vividness that is augmented by the beautiful illustrations of @dunghanhho . This duo has teamed up and created some beautiful books.

Reading this story was impactful; the children and adults were captivated by the expressive story and art, and I felt so proud to be able to share the beauty of Asian culture with them in a library.

To rephrase L.M. Montgomery: I’m so glad I live in a world where there are libraries.

Being able to share with the community a story about the beauty of Asian features and culture is not something that happened commonly when I was in school (some time ago, though I attest that I’m forever young). Literary representation is not just a way for publishers to show goodwill and market inclusivity; it’s the child that grows up seeing themselves and their families in the stories they read, thinking that it’s normal to be seen. It’s the adult sitting to the side in a busy library, quietly captivated by a children’s hardcover book about Diwali. It’s the parent that picks up the story about learning to count in Cree that is meant for children, but is bringing it home so that they can learn, too.

Visit the blog for the full article, link in bio.

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #bookrepresentation #canada #booktok #booklover

Finally. This is a first for an Indigenous language in Canada.

If you're using the mobile Google Translate app, you have the option of translating to Inuktut in either Syllabics or Latin.

#representationmatters #indigenous #canada #language #translation #inuktut

The full post is on the site, link in bio. An excerpt is below:

The spice got me; it got me so good, I still think about it. While there were some stylistic choices to which I did not align (explained later), I still couldn’t put the book down.

Thank you to @sookhkaur for having me on the advanced reader copy (ARC) team for this novel. This is my honest review: 2.5 stars.

What is really noticeable right from the first chapter is the tension! There is tension within the main characters, there is tension between them, and it pulled me right in. Like a piano string that has been tuned so taut it could snap at any moment, the author does a great job of making this palpable.

…This feels like a Canadian hockey romance story, as quite a lot of it takes place in Vancouver…It was neat to see a Punjabi character in a position of power in a very Canadian sport that has very little minority representation, particularly in positions of leadership…

The question likely lingers: why 2.5 stars? I preface my explanation by saying that I respect the effort and creativity it takes to write a book, and it is not fair to ever blatantly bash a written work. Not all books are for everyone, and that’s ok. I respect this author and appreciate their work, and I am entitled to my respectful opinion.

…Here it is: I did not connect with the writing style employed in this book. A lot of readers will appreciate the writing; the stylistic choice certainly helps to build anticipation and excitement for the plot…

…It was refreshing to read about a South Asian female lead and love interest, who seemingly disrupts conventional beauty standards, getting treated like the hottest, smartest, most talented, sexiest, and divine creature on this earth.

I am interested in reading more stories with South Asian love interests in Sookh Kaur’s other works.

Link in bio for the full article.

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #canada #booktok #booklover #arcreview #arcreader #booksbooksbooks #books

@clover.callahan.writes her first book is officially OUT! The Fate Date! GET IT!

I really enjoyed this one. Get in on it, because you need to add to your list of book boyfriends 😁

Canadian & #Ottawa readers, go support local!

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #canada #booktok #booklover
#booksbooksbooks #books #romancebook

Libraries are communal spaces that provide free and shared access to resources and information. These are not just places to borrow books! There’s:
📕Free internet access
📕Free access to computers
📕Economical printing services
📕Free access to magazine subscriptions, music
📕Recording studios, 3D printers!
📕Instruments!
📕Spaces for children to play games, video games
📕Literacy groups
📕And more!

I borrowed these two beauties - “Dim Sum Palace” by @xfang_studio and “My Hands Can” by @ammi.joan.paquette . Two great books for littles with representation at the forefront. What a great time to be a reader, with books like these around!

Stay tuned for a blog post on “My Hands Can” - I was so moved by the story, as well as the illustrations by @sabrenakhadija

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #canada #booktok #booklover #bookrepresentation #representationmatters #childrenliterature
#kidslit #kidsbooks #library #libraries

Woohoo! Happy Friday!
Just as I was pondering what to read next, this treat came in!📕
I'm looking forward to reading this. Thank you @sookhkaur !

#bookstack #canada #bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #booktok #booklover #bookreview #bookreels #bookrepresentation #arcreader

Thank you to @clover.callahan.writes and @happilybookedpr for the opportunity to join the ARC team and read an advanced copy. This is my honest review. The full post is on the site, linked in bio. An excerpt is below:

… At first glance, this book isn’t in line with my usual books for representation; the lead characters are not racialized, neither are they really going against the grain socially or at risk of marginalization. However, after reading the novel, I have to say, I’m so glad I did.

…Oh my goodness! I didn't want this book to end! The story is so well written. 4 stars.

This is Clover Callahan’s first publication, “The Fate Date.” Where to begin? Forced proximity, opposites attract. He's like a robot with a heart. She's like a bubbly, effervescent unicorn that needs his grounding. The juxtaposition of the two, the passionate vs. the linear, the intuitive vs. the unfeeling logic, and the way their lives come together, is really wholesome and really well done.

As someone who has worked in STEM for the last 15 years, I can tell you that the author got the diction choices right. Mentions of “binary”, “spreadsheets”, and “software upgrades” were excellent descriptive choices that really helped to convey the male character’s personality and the world that has molded him.

The same thing goes for the female lead. As someone who reads oracle cards (not tarot, but I have some familiarity with it), the way she meets the readings and her life with intuition and tuning into the planetary energies feels very accurate and believable.

…Also, there is SPICE! More than in the “Veronica Speedwell” series by Deanna Raybourn, but less than Ana Huang’s “Kings of Sin” series. It doesn't have the explicit sexual aggression like in an Ana Huang story, but it’s also not so conservative that it glosses over the spicy bits, leaving you wanting details. It's all personal preference/what you're in the mood for, but I found it to be just right.

Really well done. I can’t wait to read more of Clover Callahan’s work.

Visit the blog for the full article, link in bio.

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #canada #booktok #arcreview

On today’s 4th annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, I’d like to draw your attention to Elaine Alec’s work, “Calling my Spirit Back.” The full post is on the blog, linked in bio, but an excerpt is below:

@elainealec_ is many things: mother, survivor, author, entrepreneur, the list goes on. She self-published her book Calling my Spirit Back in 2020, and it’s her work I’d like to draw your attention to today.

In her book she shares her life experience. My goodness, what an inspiration. The writing is intimate, and the reader really gets a sense of Indigenous culture, values, nuances of language, teachings, and so forth.

To a survivor of complex trauma, her work hits home, and gives light and hope that we can make it through to the other side. She gives us a front row seat to someone working through their trauma, and shows that it takes real courage; we’re often faced with fear, doubt, shame, and a whole rollercoaster of emotions. Ultimately, it is rewarding and liberating; in finding the courage to honour our experiences and take our power back, we learn to heal, we learn to set healthy boundaries, we learn to use our voice, we learn to live and act according to our identity and values. We learn to crawl, stand, and to walk as adults because we didn’t really know how to do that in a healthy way as babies and children. Along this ongoing journey, we learn to define ourselves versus having our trauma be definitive.

The art of listening and holding space is pervasive throughout this story. If there’s one thing this article and today’s events teach you, get out there and listen and read the stories of survivors. Hold space for them, hold space for yourself.

Visit the blog for the full article, link in bio.

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #bookrepresentation #canada #booktok #booklover #nationaldayoftruthandreconciliation
#traumasurvivor

The blog is live! Stay tuned for reviews and other bookish articles.📕

Domain may change later, taking incremental steps. 💪

Link in bio. 🔗

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #bookrepresentation #canada #booktok #booklover

Inconvenient: when you're just about to read the spicy bits, but real life mom life takes over and you have to wait until later!!! 😭❤️

Suffice to say I DEVOURED this one. Review coming soon! ❤️

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #arcreader #canada #booktok #booklover

I've got a big job to do on this chilly and rainy afternoon. Did I pack enough snacks? 😂❤️

Looking forward to adding to my pile of book boyfriends!

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #canada #booktok #booklover #arcreader

I'm so excited!!! Thank you @clover.callahan.writes , I can't wait!

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #canada #booktok #booklover #arcreader

You make my life so easy. Life is better with you in it. Maybe I can find a replacement. #officesupplies #crafts #stationery

🌕 You know I had to talk about a @pacylin book today! “Thanking the Moon” is a story that follows a family and how they observe the yearly Moon Festival.

I have a few of her books, she's a fave in our family.

The blog post is coming soon, I'll share more about my thoughts on this one. In the meantime, Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival! 🌕

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #bookrepresentation #canada #booktok #booklover

#mooncake
#moonfestival
#midautumnfestival

#childrenliterature #representationmatters
#kidslit
#kidsbooks

Is that so much to ask? #priorities

#bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookreels #bookstack #bookreview #booklover #bookrepresentation #canada #booktok #booklover

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