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Articles by Mishma Nixon
Kafka in Kashmir: Zahid Rafiq’s “The World With Its Mouth Open”
Picture this: You awake to get ready for a cricket tournament. You have been excited for this particular cricket tournament, it’s a special event, a star-studded one. You are going to be on the field and play against sports stars whose faces you have only seen winning trophies and smiling in advertisements on the TV. Last night, you slept in a five-star hotel, courtesy of the tournament. All while soldiers walked the streets with their guns. But for now you can focus on the cricket tournament.
In Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 2, There Is Grandness In Intimacy
How do you tell a story of a grand succession, a complicated web of conspiracies, warring kingdoms, deep-seated revenge, and damning secrets? It’s a template we have seen often, and in Ponniyin Selvan 2 — now streaming on Amazon Prime Video — all of these elements come together to conclude Mani Ratnam’s duology.
10 New Fantasy Books by BIPOC Women to Look Forward to This Year
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Credit: Shutterstock/wavebreakmedia As reality remains gloomy at times, a fantasy novel can transport you to another world and make you believe in magic. True escapism is promised in the pages of a great fantasy read, but fantasy can also be a great vehicle to look at the current world and its makeup with new eyes.
6 Literature-Inspired Home Items That Will Brighten Up Your Living Spaces
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. A bookworm’s living space can carry traces of their love for the written word, whether it be stacks of books, well-loved bookshelves, wall decor doubling as literary tributes, or merch that celebrates fandoms. Now, envision a room where the reading corners and storage spaces go above and beyond when showcasing a love for reading through subtle yet profound and one-of-a-kind decor items.
JULY RECAP: Some exciting turn of events Original
Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a great summer and keeping safe. I feel like this is such a weird time to be in, as things become rather uncertain all over again. I’ve been vaccinated for a while, and Iowa City has been pretty quiet these past couple of months, but I am definitely nervous to see what the new semester/school year will bring to this humble college town.
Where the Rhythm Takes You is a love song to Tobago and second chances
Title: Where the Rhythm Takes You Author: Sarah Dass Publication: May 11th 2021 by Balzer + Bray Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Reyna has spent most of her life at her family’s gorgeous seaside resort in Tobago, the Plumeria. But what once seemed like paradise is starting to feel more like purgatory. It’s been two years since Reyna’s mother passed away, two years since Aiden – her childhood best friend, first kiss, first love, first everything – left the island to pursue his music dreams.
Mini Reviews #1 || Audiobook edition
I have always wanted to try out doing mini reviews to make sure I am doing good by all my recent reads, especially the backlist ones, so here we go! I am trying to divide this up by theme because that pleases me for some reason – just Virgo things – so starting off with an audiobook edition of mini reviews! SORCERY OF THORNS BY MARGARET ROGERSON All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything.
10 Books from the second half of 2021 I am excited to read Original
How are we already past the halfway mark of 2021? This has been quite a year so far, and we’ve gotten some amazing titles. At the beginning of the year I talked about 10 books I was most excited for, but usually these lists tend to be pretty winter/spring/summer heavy, so here’s round two of 2021 releases I am excited for, this time from the second half of the year. Before we start, make sure to check out my original post of exciting 2021 releases.
June Recap: A mid year update and exciting news Original
I have once again disappeared and resurfaced after the last time I gave an update. I’ve been pretty quite on twitter as well, but I am slowly catching up with things.
Tashie Bhuiyan's "Counting Down With You" is a tender tale of family, love, and standing by your dreams
28 days without parents, curfews, or constant scrutiny? This is a dream for most South Asian kids. Don’t get me wrong, we love our family and our parents, but sometimes the sweet taste of freedom and the thrill of rebellion is a not-so-secret wish for those who have grown up with stifling expectations and restrictions. That’s the premise of Counting Down With You by debut author Tashie Bhuiyan.
Becky Albertalli's 'Kate In Waiting' is an ode to crushes, theater, and friendships
From the bestselling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, comes a sweeping love letter to high school crushes, theater, and friendships. In her latest standalone, Becky Albertalli tells the story of Kate, a charming and delightful teenage girl who loves too much, gets her heart broken too often, and holds her friendships so dear against all odds. Kate in Waiting is an ode to crushes.
Sabina Khan talks Zara Hossain Is Here, immigrant narratives, and South Asian representation Original
One of my most excited releases of this year is here! Zara Hossain Is Here is now out in the world and I can’t wait for you all to meet Zara! To celebrate the book birthday, we have Sabina Khan with us, and I asked her some questions about the book and South Asian representation in YA books! ABOUT THE BOOK Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas, since her family moved there for her father to work as a pediatrician.
March Recap: Moving, adjusting and quite a lot of updates
Hello friends, have you been wondering where I have disappeared? Well, March was…a lot. I fell off the grid a little but now I am back! Essentially I moved back to Iowa City and had to settle into my apartment – and a different time zone – all while taking classes, and it was a little too much to adapt to. But I am all safe and sound now, and it’s so nice to actually wake up in the morning and start my day like a normal person instead of being a perpetual night owl.
Tara Sim talks about Ravage the Dark, revenge stories, and South Asian representation
Hello bookworms, If you’ve been wondering about my absence for a while, it’s because I travelled back to campus, thus had to do some anxiety inducing international travel this past weekend.
Best Book-Inspired Candles - Literary, Cafe, and Book Inspired Candles
by Mishma Nixon published Yesterday We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. A great scented candle is the best companion for any solitary activity. I love to light up a candle as I bury myself in homework or sit back and enjoy a cup of tea on a cozy evening. Once I find the right candle for the mood, it never fails to lift up my spirits or the smell of the room.
7 Poetry Books by BIPOC Women to Add to Your TBR List
by Mishma Nixon published Yesterday We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Poetry can do a lot of things — hurt and heal, be sweet and dangerous, all at the same time. When Amanda Gorman took to the stage during the inauguration back in January, her spoken word touched millions of hearts and reignited a love for the lyric, rhyme, and a form as old as language itself.
Social Media Activism Can Work, but We Don’t Need to Shame People Into It
Every time I open Twitter, I am hit with a barrage of information about a new international crisis or incident. Sometimes these are big events that take over the whole feed, no matter what niche community you are part of. But most of the time, global events don’t receive the same attention as something like the Capitol riot in Washington, DC. This dynamic can be frustrating.
Forced Covid-19 cremations in Sri Lanka are waging war on Muslim minorities
“Silence the pianos and with muffled drum/Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come,” read the opening lines of W.H.Auden’s ‘Funeral Blues’, a favourite poem of mine. It’s a heartfelt expression of grief that has been ringing in my ears for the past couple of months. Mourning is so inherent to our perception of death and grief, but oftentimes we don’t understand that it’s also a right. The right to remember the dead, the right to mourn them in a way that honours their life and their traditions.
A Mystery at Lili Villa - Exclusive Cover Reveal and Author Q&A
I am extremely excited for today’s post. South Asian books always have me excited, and I definitely have a special soft spot for certain regional specific representations.
Bridgerton's new leading lady Kate Sharma is here- and she's South Asian!
Ever since Netflix and Shondaland announced the renewal of Bridgerton – the world’s new favorite show – fans have been wanting to know one thing. Who is going to be our Kate?
Chai Time - Episode 1
Hope you are all having a relaxing weekend and settling down with a good romance book or movie! Initially this post was supposed to be an edition of cheat sheet where I answer some questions from you all, instead of interviewing someone, but after I got some questions – and because I am extra – I decided to make this a mini feature instead! So here you go, let’s have some chai and talk! Before we go ahead, I want to encourage you to ask me any questions in the comments or fill out this form...
21 Diverse, Loved-Up Books That Will Make You Root for Romance All Month Long
by Mishma Nixon published Feb 12, 2021 We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. It’s the time of the year for chocolates, hearts, and sweet love stories. Romance books and stories are wonderful all year round — and I’ve found they’ve gifted me with much-needed joy and lightness during the pandemic — and February is all the more reason to read more love stories.
9 More Historical Romance Books and Series to Fall in Love With
Happy Valentine’s week you all! Hope you have some great plans for this week, I am just going to curl up with a romance book and maybe binge watch some romcoms. Is there any particular movie you watch or a tradition you maintain? Let me know in the comments! So back in January I shared a list of some of my favourite historical romance book and series. I had said that I might do a part two, and since a lot of you really liked the recommendations, I decided to do a follow up.
What Big Teeth is a creepy tale of a strange family and stranger things
Title: What Big Teeth Author: Rose Szabo Publication: February 2nd 2021 by FSG Synopsis: Rose Szabo’s thrilling debut is a dark and thrilling novel about a teen girl who returns home to her strange, wild family after years of estrangement, perfect for fans of Wilder Girls. Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind.
January Recap - what I read, loved, did - and didn’t do Original
January 2021 has been one of the longest months and I am glad it’s over. I feel like we all came into 2021 not expecting much – after all, what can be worse than 2020? – but well…a lot of things have happened! It has been a fairly chill month for me personally, and here are some of my highlights! THE BOOKS What I read this month I had an absolutely amazing reading month! I have read 21 books so far, and I also genuinely enjoyed almost all of them.
9 Historical Romance Books and Series you should check out!
As I mentioned in my 2020 recap, my reading tastes have become quite diverse (in terms of genres) lately. While I wouldn’t say that I have outgrown YA – which I was scared was the case for a while – I am definitely gravitating more towards adult fiction as I grow older. Historical romance has actually been a genre that I have always been a fan of, but in the past two years, the genre has become a sort of safe space for me.
The Lady or the Lion by Aamna Qureshi - EXCLUSIVE Excerpt Reveal and author Q & A Original
Hello hello, I am super pumped about today’s post! It’s a known fact how much I love my South Asian YA books, and I have expressed my excitement over the wonderful South Asian YA books that are releasing in 2021. There’s so many beautiful stories, and today I am so happy to highlight and reveal an excerpt from the thrilling Pakistani YA fantasy – The Lady or the Lion! The exciting fantasy features royal and political intrigue, multiple twists, and a forbidden romance at its core.
Sarah Barley gives a preview of her role as editorial director at Flatiron || Cheat Sheet Original
Welcome to Cheat Sheet, a series that provides an insider look into book blogging, publishing, and writing. Each time, I invite someone from the book and publishing community to talk about a different topic! If you have any suggestions for people I should interview, or you would like to be interviewed, feel free to let me know via comments, twitter or email me at mishmanixon@yahoo.com.
Cheat Sheet - Chasing Faerytales
First of all, it is time to introduce a new feature! Welcome to Cheat Sheet, a new series that hopes to give an insider view of the world of pop culture, through interviews, guest posts and exclusive content. Cheat Sheet will be highlighting and featuring people from various arenas of publishing, writing and the book community. To kick off the feature, today we have Sarah, the founder and owner of Your Book Travels, a business that offers YA books and
#COVID19 Diaries: A Tale Of Two Cities
I wake up, hit snooze on my alarm, listen to the boys play cricket outside, surf through TV channels, and buy a doughnut from the choon pan man every evening. Rinse and repeat. This has been my routine ever since my neighbourhood went into lockdown three months ago, as if I am in some weird Groundhog Day time loop.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is a soft tale of love and acceptance Original
Title: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega Author: Crystal Maldonado Publication: February 2nd, 2021 Synopsis: Coming of age as a Fat brown girl in a white Connecticut suburb is hard. Harder when your whole life is on fire, though. Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat. People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help.
My 10 most anticipated releases of 2021 Original
Well, 2021 has been…interesting so far. There’s a lot going on, and I hope you are all doing okay, and taking a deep breath. Maybe distracting yourself with a good book – which is totally okay! I myself have been a little behind on blogging because this year really hit the road running for me, but I wanted to clear my head and be excited about some books for a while.
Is There An Advent Of Trans Representation In Tamil Cinema?
bool(false) bool(false) The first time I saw a transgender character in a film was in the 2000 movie Appu. Prakash Raj plays Maharani, a transgender woman who rules over a brothel in Mumbai. Maharani is the antagonist; she is also utterly terrifying. I remember watching in bewilderment and fear as a child, as she sauntered around with sheer malice and evil in her eyes.
A look back at 2020: the books, the blog, and the personal (+ Giveaway) Original
It’s the end! We are here. Honestly, 2020 has been A YEAR. Phew. But it’s so weird to think that it’s ending, and going into the absolute uncertainty of 2021. Looking back at this year brings a lot of bittersweet feelings, but there’s been a lot of good mixed with the bad, and a lot of things that I am proud of and want to talk about. So here we are, an official recap of the year. Let’s take a look at what I’ve been up to in terms of my reading, blog, college, writing, and other adventures.
The 10 best books of 2020 - well, according to me Original
I hope everyone’s enjoying holiday season (and staying safe!) Christmas was quiet but pretty cute in my house, and I am chilling with my leftovers. It’s so weird to see the year coming to an end, but that also means it’s the time to take a look down memory road and decide my best releases of the year! Before we go into the list, here’s a disclaimers. This is only the books that were released in 2020, which means I haven’t included my backlist reads of the year.
King and the Dragonflies is a tender story of growing up Black and Queer Original
Title: King and the Dragonflies Author: Kacen Callender Publication: February 4th 2020 by Scholastic Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.
A guide to South Asian Middle Grade and Picture Books in 2021 Original
A couple weeks ago, I shared my database of South Asian YA books to look forward to in 2021. I had promised a MG version, so here we are! I am excited to present my guide to South Asian Middle Grade and Picture books in 2021! There are some exciting releases that are very diverse and make me super happy for kids who get to see themselves in these beautiful stories.* Now before we go ahead, this list is not exhaustive, as there are titles that are yet to be announced.
Dahlia Adler shares the process behind YA anthologies || Cheat Sheet Original
Welcome to Cheat Sheet, a series that provides an insider look into book blogging, publishing, and writing. Each time, I invite someone from the book and publishing community to talk about a different topic! If you have any suggestions for people I should interview, or you would like to be interviewed, feel free to let me know via comments, twitter or email me at mishmanixon@yahoo.com. In today’s edition of Cheat Sheet we have Dahlia Adler, who wears quite a few hats in the publishing world.
Ritu weds Chandni is the Indian fairytale wedding of the year (+Giveaway) Original
Title: Ritu Weds Chandni Author & Illustrator: Ameya Narvankar Publication: December 1st 2020 by Yali Books Synopsis: Little Ayesha is all excited for her favorite cousin Ritu’s wedding. But not everyone is happy that Ritu is marrying her girlfriend Chandni. Some have even vowed to stop the celebrations. Will Ayesha be able to save her cousin’s big day? Add to Goodreads.
A complete database of South Asian Books YA to Look out for in 2021 Original
It’s that time of the year to recap the best of and look forward to future releases! 2021 is an interesting year to look forward to in many ways, but to me, it’s also a year that’s bringing us some great South Asian children’s books! To celebrate and look forward to these titles, I have made a comprehensive database of South Asian books that are releasing in 2021! Now before we go ahead, I want to mention that these are only YA books, and I have a separate list coming out for MG, and an...
Ruinsong by Julia Ember sings a tale of deadly musical magic (+ Giveaway!) Original
Title: Ruinsong Author: Julia Ember Release Date: 24th November 2020 Synopsis: In Julia Ember’s dark and lush LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy Ruinsong, two young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country, as they wrestle with their feelings for each other. Her voice was her prison… Now it’s her weapon. In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence has been forced to torture her country’s disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen’s bidding.
The Rise of Bangladeshi YA…and the erasure of Bangladesh || A Guest Post by Adiba Jaigirdar (+Giveaway) Original
If you follow me on twitter or known me long enough, you know how I feel about South Asian YA. Growing up in Sri Lanka, I never really saw myself in the YA books I read and loved, so the recent rise in books featuring and written by South Asian characters and authors is amazing! But I’ve also grown enough to realize that not all South Asian YA is actually representative of who I am, and there’s still a lot of progress to be made.
These Violent Delights centers Romeo and Juliet in the heart of 1920s Shanghai (+Giveaway) Original
Title: These Violent Delights Author: Chloe Gong Publisher: Simon & Schuster Release Date: November 17 2020 Synopsis: The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law.
We need more diverse horror - A Guest Post by Karuna Riazi Original
This post is part of Ghost Stories from Asia, a blog series that celebrates Asian horror stories and writers. To see more about the series, check out the introduction post and read the rest of the posts from the series here. Happy Halloween everyone! It is the day for all spooky stories, and today brings an end to the blog series! I really hope you all enjoyed Ghost Stories from Asia.
Rin Chupeco on writing Asian Ghosts Original
This post is part of Ghost Stories from Asia, a blog series that celebrates Asian horror stories and writers. To see more about the series, check out the introduction post and read the rest of the posts from the series here.
6 Spooky Asian Reads perfect for the season!
This post is part of Ghost Stories from Asia, a blog series that celebrates Asian horror stories and writers. To see more about the series, check out the introduction post and read the rest of the posts from the series here.
Katie Zhao shares about The Fallen Hero and The Hungry Ghost Festival (+ GIVEAWAY!) Original
This post is part of Ghost Stories from Asia, a blog series that celebrates Asian horror stories and writers. To see more about the series, check out the introduction post and read the rest of the posts from the series here. Hello! I hope all of you have been enjoying the posts from Ghost Stories from Asia! Today, on the blog, we have Katie Zhao, author of The Dragon Warrior and the newly released The Fallen Hero.
4 spooky Filipino Folktales that will send a chill down your spine Original
This interview is part of Ghost Stories from Asia, a blog series that celebrates Asian horror stories and writers. To see more about the series, check out the introduction post and read the rest of the posts from the series here.
Hanna Alkaf discusses The Girl and the Ghost, MG horror stories, and Malaysian folktales Original
This interview is part of Ghost Stories from Asia, a blog series that celebrates Asian horror stories and writers. To see more about the series, check out the introduction post and read the rest of the posts from the series here. Hello bookworms, welcome to the first post of Ghost Stories from Asia – a celebration of Asian horror stories. For today’s post, we have the wonderful Hanna Alkaf, author of The Girl and the Ghost (and the fabulous YA book The Weight of Our Sky).
Introducing Ghost Stories from Asia - a blog series that celebrates Asian horror stories. Original
I would be lying big time if I said that I have always been a fan of horror. I am the biggest scaredy-cat, and I have hid behind multiple sarees, sweaters and crushed too many fingers while watching horror movies. And growing up, I refused to read horror, although I read the occasional Goosebumps and would listen to spooky folktales whenever I would visit my mother’s village in rural Sri Lanka. But horror has grown on me.
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