May Staff Book Report: Lauren Sum
Each month we ask our staff to share their latest reading recommendations and give us a peek into their reading habits by answering your favorite bookish questions. In May, we hear from Lauren Sum, Associate Publicist, Grand Central Publishing. Read ahead for Lauren’s trusted AAPI reading recommendations, her golden bookstore idea, and more.
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez
A heartbreaking tale of love and grief: Jimenez brings an air of dark hilarity to the heaviness of growing up against the backdrop of trauma. Ruthy’s disappearance is a poignant investigation into what happens (or doesn’t) when women of color go missing.
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Swoony and heartwarming, Not Another Love Song is yet another refreshing romance from Julie Soto. This is the much anticipated (by me) follow up to Soto’s entertaining and angsty debut (also recommended, but I ran out of spots!). I’ll probably never look at a violin or cello the same way again.
Connie: A Memoir by Connie Chung
With an entire generation of American-born Asian women named after her, Connie Chung has proven to be a luminary and pinnacle of representation: shattering both glass and bamboo ceilings, and paving the way for many women and Asians alike. This is her delightful memoir, told with her signature wit and remarkable candor.
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callendar
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Stars in Your Eyes is a beautiful exploration into trauma, featuring complex and flawed characters. (I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this is Grumpy x Sunshine.)
These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany
An emotional coming-of-age that features an endearing trio of Muslim women navigating adulthood and the nuances of tradition and personal desires, while staying true to their deeply held faith. El-Wardany provides a compelling look into family and friendship, both that we are born into and that we choose, for all of its ups and downs.
What is the weirdest thing you have used as a bookmark?
I used to just flip my books over and leave them open, face down on the couch/bed/table where I was reading, but now I cringe at the thought of what it does to the spines, so I usually just grab whatever’s closest…sometimes my phone, but we all know that never works out.
If you owned a bookstore, what would you call it?
“The Trophy Shelf” because I always give in to the urge to buy a physical “trophy” book to display my most loved reads even if I read it as an audio or eBook.
What book(s) are at the top of your TBR right now?
I’m such a mood reader that there isn’t really a top or bottom to my TBR, but in this moment, I’m excited to read Sophie Wan’s Women of Good Fortune and Kerri Maniscalco’s Throne of the Fallen, and am looking forward to Ashley Poston’s upcoming release, A Novel Love Story.
