#leuyen pham

[richincolor]

Welcome to our group discussion of Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

Please note that this is a full spoiler discussion! You will be spoiled if you continue reading.

Valentina Tran was named after Valentine’s Day, which used to be her favorite holiday. But when Val learns the truth behind what happened with her parents and why she’s being raised by a single father, she realizes true love is a lie. This is reinforced when she meets the spirit of Saint Valentine, who tells her she and her family are cursed to always be unlucky in love. Val is ready to give into her fate, until one Lunar New Year festival, where a mysterious lion dancer hands her a paper heart, and ZING. Val becomes determined to change her destiny, prove Saint Valentine wrong, and give her heart to the right person. Meanwhile, lion dancing is the only thing that has given Jae peace after his dad passed away. It’s also what keeps him connected to his father’s side of the family. Both Jae and his cousin Leslie notice Val at the Lunar New Year festival, and for some inexplicable reason, Jae hands Val a paper heart. But it’s Leslie, with his K-Pop good looks, who starts to date Val. Jae still feels this connection with Val and feels it’s somehow tied to how he feels about losing his father. Both Val and Jae struggle with the spirits who haunt them as they are inextricably brought together in a love story that is satisfying, sweet, and moving.

Audrey: I had so much fun reading LUNAR NEW YEAR LOVE STORY. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to really dig into a graphic novel, and this was a great one. Gene Luen Yang’s story was compelling, and LeUyen Pham did such a great job illustrating characters’ expressions and conveying movement. I really loved how the lion dances were illustrated. What did you think?

K. Imani: I agree Audrey, I had so much fun reading this novel as well. There were so many moments where I had a huge grin on my face and moments where I laughed out loud. The storytelling was so on point with a number of twists that I did not see coming. I love when a story keeps me on my toes. I had an ARC so the paper quality of my book was not that great, but the art was still beautiful so I can only imagine what the final product looked like.

Jessica: I’m a huge fan of Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novels so I knew I would be in for a treat! And I was not wrong. I’d just attended the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown the prior weekend to reading this, so it felt very fitting to read this. I just adore stories about lion dancing – Audrey, I also loved how the lion dances were illustrated.

Crystal: I really loved the whole experience. The lion dancing was super interesting. It was great to see them, but also to learn about the how and why of the dancing. The artwork was gorgeous and like you said Audrey, LeUyen Pham was able to show so much movement. The color palette was beautiful and rich and followed the feng shui color wheel that is connected to the elements of nature. You can read more about Pham’s illustrations and her very deliberate choices with the colors in this BookPage interview.

Audrey: Let’s start with Valentina! What did you like about her? I have a soft spot for characters who get disillusioned about something but then forge onward anyway. I appreciated her determination to break her family’s romantic love curse, but I also really liked her journeys with familial love and friendship, too.

Jessica: She was a really interesting character! I didn’t expect to get a window into her childhood first thing, and the change from her childhood to when she is a teen in the present day was fascinating and really served to give us a full picture of who she is — it made me feel for her, too! Yet, at the same time, the way she throws herself into whatever she does – whether that’s making valentines or learning lion dancing – makes you really want to root for her.

K. Imani: I found Valentina so compelling. She had such a caring heart at the beginning of the book and to have it broken in such a way made me really feel for her. I really enjoyed traveling with her on her journey as she learned the difference between fantasy love and what real love is. Like Jessica said Ioved that she was so open to trying new things and when she put her mind to something, she went all in.

Crystal: I too appreciated seeing her relationships over time. It was good to see some of her childhood and to see her keep moving forward even when things were difficult. She picked herself up many times and kept on going. She was scared, but did the hard things.

Audrey: We can’t forget about Jae! He and Val didn’t have a great start, so I appreciated the slow burn of their friendship and eventual romance. He was quieter compared to Val, but he clearly was observant and thoughtful, and I appreciated how the two of them complemented each other.

Jessica: Jae! I love Jae so much. I love how much they complemented each other, and how Jae had his own struggles and his own story running parallel to Val. When they performed the lion dance together at the end – I loved that scene. And I cannot say enough about how fabulous the lion dancing illustrations in particular were. I went around showing it to people like, “hey, you should really read this – LOOK AT THESE ILLUSTRATIONS.” Another of my favorite scenes was when Jae’s uncle showed them Korean lion dancing and talked about eum and yang, and how the lion is 100% yang. That was so much fun. It makes me curious about the different kinds of lion dancing in the world beyond the style I’m familiar with.

K. Imani: Yes, we cannot forget about Jae. He was such a perfect balance for Valentina because he was the quiet to her loud.  I liked that he was surrounded by so much love so he was able to recognize that Val wouldn’t be ready for a real relationship and that she had to find her own way. I loved that they both had the same reasons, somewhat, for doing the lion dance and when they danced together it was a powerful experience. I loved those scenes and the happiness that came across through the illustrations just brought a smile to my face.

Crystal: I really adored Jae. He paid close attention to others and really tried to be respectful in his choices. Like Jessica, I totally loved the lion dance with Jae and Val at the end. It visually reminded us how much they complemented each other.

Audrey: Family and grief/loss were huge parts of this book as both Val and Jae were dealing with the loss of a parent and complications in their relationships with other family members and friends. What was most memorable for you? I really loved Val’s grandmother—she was great as a comedic character, but she also had some great moments with Val that showcased her depth and her love for her family.

Jessica: I found the different ways people processed loss so compelling – how Val coped versus how Val’s father went into full denial mode and lied to Val about her mother versus Val’s grandmother. Val’s grandmother bursting into their lives was a breath of fresh air. And both Jae and Val finding solace in lion dancing, something that brings good luck and joy to others, was such a powerful image. It makes me really appreciate the local organizations in my community that keep these traditions alive and provide this outlet for teens in my area.

K. Imani: What stood out to me with the theme of love & grief were tied together in the novel. I like how Val had to learn to love her father again after her hurt, how she was beginning to love her mother in a new way, and the relationship with her grandmother. On the other hand what motivated Jae to dance was his love for his father. This subtle theme was a lovely contrast to Val’s search for true love as it made her realize the difference between a fantasy type of love and what real, true, actual love is.

Crystal: With their losses, what stands out to me is how avoiding things compounds the problems. The lies and the silence only makes the grief and pain stretch out. As Jae’s uncle encouraged, being straightforward and direct can bring healing in a relationship.

Audrey: To wrap up, what YA graphic novels, romances, or contemporary fantasies are on your radar this year? I think The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp and illustrated by Gabrielle Kari looks fun! It just came out last week, and I’m a sucker for arranged/political marriages, and this one is set in a fantasy world with a sapphic main couple. Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar also sounds delightful.

Jessica: I’m really, really excited for Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert (which Crystal has reviewed here). I’m a huge fan of the webcomic OMG, Check Please by Ngozi Ukazu, so of course I’m on board for Bunt! as well. And since we’re on the topic of lion dancing in this discussion, I’m going to shout out these two short stories (read them here and here) about lion dancing by Zen Cho, which I adore.

Crystal: I really enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison and its sequel by Judy I. Lin, so I’m excited to get my hands on her romantic fantasy Song of the Six Realms. I’m also looking forward to the contemporary romance True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christine Li. The supernatural romance Hearts of Fire and Snow by David Bowles and Guadalupe Garcia McCall is also on my list. As for graphic novels, I’m eager to read The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall. So many books!

K. Imani: There are a number of fantasy trilogies that I’m looking forward to reading when I finally have some free time. All the Twisted Glory, the 3rd book  in the This Woven Kingdom series by Tahereh Mafi,and The Merciless Ones, the last of the Gilded Ones series by Namina Forna, is on my TBR list so far.

#lunar new year love story #gene luen yang #leuyen pham #graphic novels #contemporary #fantasy #romance #group discussion

[bookaddict24-7]

New Young Adult Releases! (January 9th, 2024)

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Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

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New Standalones/First in a Series:

Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat

Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah

Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang & LeUyen Pham (Illustrations)

Shut Up, This is Serious by Carolina Ixta

The Atlas of Us by Kristin Dwyer

We're Never Getting Home by Tracy Badua

New Sequels:

The Lost Ones (The Dark Ascension Series #2) by Lauren DeStefano

___

Happy reading!

#New Releases #New books #January 2024 #Young Adult #book list #tbr #to-read #Features #Lauren DeStefano #Tracy Badua #Kristin Dwyer #Carolina Ixta #Gene Luen Yang #LeUyen Pham #Kristy Boyce #Tanvi Berwah #Arushi Avachat #book blog #book blogger #book blogging #books #booklr #bookish #bookworm #bookaholic #readers of tumblr #books and reading #books books books #books and literature #bookblr

[godzilla-reads]

❤️ Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Val is ready to give up on love. It’s led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she’s pretty sure she’s cursed. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?

I picked this up at Moon Palace Books because I saw Trung Le Nguyen hyping it up on Instagram and the hype is real. I fell in love with this story the more I read it, feeling myself in the romanticism and the cynicism. I loved the characters and how everyone has an “a ha!” moment eventually with their growth. I especially loved Valentina and her journey throughout the story. She went through a lot and comes out even better than before.

I highly recommend this graphic novel!

(Side note: it’s also super cool to see Lion dancing in this book and the behind the scenes of how it’s done- super cool!!)

#godzilla reads #lunar new year love story #gene luen yang #leuyen pham #graphic novel #book review #reading #book blog #bookworm #booklr #booklover #romance books

[graphicpolicy]

Lunar New Year Love Story is a "best of" the year contender! Great graphic novel to start the year!

Lunar New Year Love Story is a "best of" the year contender! Great graphic novel to start the year! #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel

Val is ready to give up on love. It’s led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she’s pretty sure she’s cursed–no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart…

View On WordPress

#featured #first second #gene luen yang #graphic novel #graphic novels #leuyen pham #lunar new year love story #video

[smashpages]

Out this week: Lunar New Year Love Story (First Second, $17.99): American Born Chinese creator Gene Luen Yang returns with a new graphic novel to kick off the year — the Lunar New Year, to be specific. He’s teamed up with LeUyen Pham, the Caldecott Honor-winning children’s author and illustrator of Bear Came Along and many other titles. Together they’ve created a rom-com about “fate, family, forgiveness and lion dancing,” as a woman who gave up on love because she thinks her family is cursed is handed a paper heart by a lion dancer at a Lunar New Year performance.

See what else is coming to your local comic shop this week!

#lunar new year love story #gene luen yang #leuyen pham #new comic book day #can't wait for comics #ncbd #new comics day #new comics #graphic novels #first second

[whatmakesagod]

#gene luen yang #graphic novel #young adult literature #leuyen pham #contemporary romance #asian romance #asian american literature

[goldencrownofsorro]

#2

#raina telgemeier #shannon hale #leuyen pham #graphic novel #books read in 2024 #illustrations #cover art

[librarycomic]

Best Friends by Shannon Hale, artwork by LeUyen Pham. First Second, 2019. 9781250317469. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781250317469?partnerid=34778&p_bt

I'm a huge fan of Hale's Rapunzel graphic novel and her Princess in Black series, which Pham illustrates. But for no good reason it took an overwhelming amount of library folks telling me how great Hale's autobiographical graphic novel series is to finally get me to pick one up. This, the second in the series, lives up to every positive thing everyone said about it.

It's 1985, and Shannon is working at a library in Salt Lake City. She feels like she's not quite a kid anymore, and her friends are as excited as she is to be starting sixth grade (and middle school). The most popular girl decides to share a locker with Shannon, and Shannon even tries to be friendly to a girl who used to bully her. (The latter doesn't seem to be working out so well.) As some of the girls in her group start playing strange friendship games, Shannon isn't sure when it's okay to act silly or who is really her friend. Writing stories gives her a chance to escape the issues a bit, but mostly her "friends" cause her a lot of anxiety.

I'm shelving this one next to Svetlana Chmakova's Berrybrook Middle School graphic novels.

#bookreview #graphicnovel #graphicnovelreview #kidsgraphicnovel #firstsecond #shannonhale #leyuenpham

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love.

She was destined for heartbreak. Then fate handed her love.

Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed—no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love.

But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?

Review:

Valentina adores Valentines day...or she did until she found out her family secret and now she's convinced that she, like everyone in her family, is cursed to have no luck with love... but then she meets a pair of cute lion dancers... and one of them could be the real love that would help her break her family curse, but which one is it? Val grew up loving Valentines day but when she finds out her family secret about her mother she begins to hate it. Val's little secret is that she use to have an imaginary friend that was a cupid.. but after the day she discovered the truth about her mom and her family she believes she is cursed and now has to find real love in order to break it. Cue, two lion dancers, both cousins, and only one of them is her real love. Now Val has to go through the various pains of trying to figure out what love is, what real love is and how she can heal from her family's secrets as well as figure out what her own heart wants. This was such a unique story and I really loved the focus on Vietnamese culture in it. It just felt like a really heartfelt read and I loved getting to see Val's journey with healing and finding peace again.

*Thanks Netgalley and First Second Books, First Second for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #lunar new year love story

[auslgbtqya]

The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle

(2022)

From the Publisher:

This tender YA comic is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Drama and Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham's Real Friends who are ready to graduate to their first teen graphic novel.

It's the first day of Grade Ten, and Winifred is going to reinvent herself. Now that her two best (and only) friends have transferred to a private school, Win must navigate high school on her own. Luckily, she isn't alone for long. In art class, she meets Oscar and April. They don't look or act like the typical teenagers in her town: they're creative, a little rebellious and seem comfortable in their own skin in a way that Win can only dream of.

But even though Winifred is breaking out of her shell, there's one secret she can't bear to admit to April and Oscar, or even to herself - and this lie threatens everything. Win needs to face her own truths, but she doesn't need to do it alone. Through the healing power of clandestine sleepovers, op-shopping and zine publishing, Win finds and accepts what it means to be herself.

'Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. This book will stay with you forever.' Jessica Walton, author of Stars In Their Eyes

'A heartfelt tale of loneliness, love and friendship. I couldn't put it down.' Alison Evans, award-winning author of Ida and Euphoria Kids

Goodreads

#The Greatest Thing #Sarah Winifred Searle #AusQueerYA #LoveOzYA #Graphic Novel #Queer YA #YA Books #Queer Graphic Novel

[richincolor]

Are you looking for something to read this month? We decided it would be fun to start off our group discussions this year with the graphic novel Lunar New Year Love Story! Will you join us? We'll be posting our group discussion on March 13. Check it out!

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by LeUyen Pham First Second

Valentina Tran was named after Valentine's Day, which used to be her favorite holiday. But when Val learns the truth behind what happened with her parents and why she's being raised by a single father, she realizes true love is a lie. This is reinforced when she meets the spirit of Saint Valentine, who tells her she and her family are cursed to always be unlucky in love. Val is ready to give into her fate, until one Lunar New Year festival, where a mysterious lion dancer hands her a paper heart, and ZING. Val becomes determined to change her destiny, prove Saint Valentine wrong, and give her heart to the right person. Meanwhile, lion dancing is the only thing that has given Jae peace after his dad passed away. It's also what keeps him connected to his father's side of the family. Both Jae and his cousin Leslie notice Val at the Lunar New Year festival, and for some inexplicable reason, Jae hands Val a paper heart. But it's Leslie, with his K-Pop good looks, who starts to date Val. Jae still feels this connection with Val and feels it's somehow tied to how he feels about losing his father. Both Val and Jae struggle with the spirits who haunt them as they are inextricably brought together in a love story that is satisfying, sweet, and moving.

#lunar new year love story #gene luen yang #leuyen pham #weneeddiversebooks #young adult books #group discussion

[cocoawithbooks]

Decisions for a Heart: Lunar New Year Love Story

Review: Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham Buy on Bookshop Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang is about a young Valentine’s Day devotee gives up her love for the holiday after a series of unfortunate incidents. But can she learn the point of having a heart through her celebration of the Lunar New Year as a traditional Lion Dancer? This is an awesome graphic…

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#fiction #graphic novel #Lunar New Year #young adult #young adult fiction

[godzilla-reads]

Happy Last 🐸 Day of February 🥳

This month I read 17 books, bringing my yearly total to 31 books so far! My Top 3 Books were hard to choose because I had so many 5-star reads this month, but I did indeed choose three which are starred below in the official list:

⭐️ Earth Keeper: Reflections on the American Land by N. Scott Momaday

🎨 The Art of Faery by David Riché

🧧 Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham

🧡 Blood Orange by Yaffa As

🔭 Saga Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

🍄 The Mushroom Garden by Adam Oehlers

⭐️ Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

🍃 Leaf Litter by Jarod K. Anderson

🏔️ Think Like a Mountain by Aldo Leopold

⭐️ What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

🌏 All Art is Ecological by Timothy Morton

🎲 The Last Session Vol. 1: Roll for Initiative by Jasmine Walls, Dozerdraws, and Micha Myers

🧚 The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley

🐸 Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

💤 The Gargoyle by Garry Kilworth and Dan Williams

☀️ Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest by Phoebe Wahl

💟 The Death of Sitting Bear: New and Selected Poems by N. Scott Momaday

#godzilla reads #February reading wrapup #reading wrap up #books read in 2024 #reading #booklist #book blog #books #booklr #bookworm #bookish #bibliophile

[graphicpolicy]

Lunar New Year Love Story is a "best of" the year contender! Great graphic novel to start the year!

Lunar New Year Love Story is a "best of" the year contender! Great graphic novel to start the year! #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel

Val is ready to give up on love. It’s led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she’s pretty sure she’s cursed–no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart…

View On WordPress

#featured #first second #gene luen yang #graphic novel #graphic novels #leuyen pham #lunar new year love story #video

[smashpages]

Can’t Wait for Comics | Gene Yang + LeUyen Pham tell a ‘Lunar New Year Love Story’

Check out new comics and graphic novels arriving this week by Gene Luen Yang, LeUyen Pham, Chris Gooch, Jarrett Williams, Al Ewing, Luciano Vecchio, Paul Grist, Louise Simonson, June Brigman and more.

#comics #comic books #new comic book day #can't wait for comics #ncbd #new comics day #new comics #graphic novels

[tastebuds1]

Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love. She was destined for heartbreak. Then fate handed her love. Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed―no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?

#comic preview #comics for older readers