Tour the World in 30 Books is a blog tour hosted by Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den in support of her local public library’s Diverse Book Drive. The CCPL—a small, rural library in an area with a high poverty rate and a very homogeneous population, where people rarely have the means to travel or experience new perspectives. However, the library doesn’t believe that should stop people from learning more about the world around them, so they’re running a Diverse Book Drive through the month of September in an attempt to bring the rest of the world to the county instead. With a focus on MG and YA books, the CCPL aims to expose especially its young patrons to new and diverse perspectives and cultures.

I’ve been so excited to take part in this awesome tour! It’s such a wonderful way to visit other countries and learn about other cultures without having to leave the comfort of your home. I’m so happy to support a wonderful friend and librarian in promoting diverse reads in her small-town library. Be sure to check out the other wonderful posts and bloggers on tour—trust, you don’t want to miss out on seeing their awesome content! 😉

Today I’ll be talking about the book Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco. You can also check out my og review for the book! I was a little unsure about how I wanted to do this post and to be honest, I’m still not 100% sure about it but I’m rolling with it and seeing where it takes me. I thought I’d share five reasons why you should read WAYW, but I’m also going to share a short reflection about reading this book, and I’ll be sharing a recipe for a Filipino dish that is one of my all-time favourite foods. What better (and more delicious) way is there to connect to a culture than through food? I hope you enjoy it!

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what’s wicked as you wish about?

When a hidden prince, a girl with secrets, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and a legendary firebird come together…something wicked is going down.

Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.

Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them.

A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.

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5 Reasons to read Wicked As You Wish

1. It’s set in a magical alternate universe that’s a hot pot of many fairytales we know and love. Chupeco takes elements from stories we grew up with and incorporates them into this world where fairytale characters are famous historical figures and cursed objects exist as weapons.
2. A cast of richly diverse characters of various ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities. This is probably the most diverse cast of characters I’ve read in a book!
3. A generous dose of found family vibes with classic fun-loving banter and also more serious and emotional moments that will give you all the feels!
4. ICE, ICE, baby (I’m sorry, I’ll stop) – but Chupeco doesn’t shy away from making some sociopolitical statements by doing things like naming the bad guys ICE agents who basically do in the book all the nasty things they do IRL.
5. All the Filipino references ranging from folklore, family and (most deliciously) food!

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a short reflection…

My family left Indonesia when I was three and I’ve lived in seven countries since, but the Philippines is where my family lived the longest (nine years)! For ages, I’ve considered the Philippines my home and it’s a place that’s still very dear to me (and that I miss). But you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with WAYW, right?

Well, this might sound a bit silly but reading WAYW was the first time that I personally felt so connected to a diverse main character and her family background. I’ve read diverse books with Asian characters before, but with WAYW something ‘clicked’ and I found myself getting genuinely excited over recognising Filipino cultural references and folklore, understanding the Tagalog, and just plain being overwhelmed by feelings of homesickness for a country that I grew up in and love. Chupeco did a great job making WAYW Filipino in many ways and it was almost like an easter egg hunt keeping an eye out for references! It was so so much fun.

I’m embarrassed to admit that prior to this year I didn’t actively seek out and read diverse books. As I’m not Filipino I can’t say that I’m OV, but more than anything, WAYW book made me appreciate the need for OV books because if I can feel this way reading a book about an Asian culture that I grew up with, how amazing would it be to read a book inspired by Indonesian culture/folklore? Being able to see ourselves represented in books is an amazing feeling and I love that there are more diverse and OV books available for all readers to experience this!

On that note, I’m going to leave you with a recipe for Filipino Chicken Adobo. I’m literally salivating as I write this because this dish, while one of the simpler meals, is one of my all-time favourites. I should also mention that you should prepare to get really hungry reading WAYW because Chupeco mentions some crazy delicious food and it left me craving Filipino dishes for days! I tried to get mum’s recipe but she never writes things down, so this is as close as it gets to hers. Download the recipe!

WANT TO DONATE?

• Monetary donations sent via PayPal to orders@caseylibrary.org.
• Donations of new or gently used books can be sent to:
  Sammie Betler
  Casey County Library
  238 Middleburg St.
  Liberty, KY 42539

CCPL Wish Lists have been put together of all the books that are featured in this blog tour. Hardbacks are preferred but not required.

Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

(If you order something from the Book Shop wishlist, please DM @srbetler on Twitter or email sammie@thebookwyrmsden.com, because I don’t believe that site automatically removes books from the wish list.)

Donated books are used at the discretion of the library

THE TOUR SCHEDULE

✦ September 1 ✦
Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den – Introduction, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears
Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Dating Makes Perfect

✦ September 2 ✦
Lauren @ Always Me – The Epic Crush of Genie Lo

✦ September 3 ✦
Toya @ The Reading Chemist – Felix Ever After

✦ September 4 ✦
Michelle @ Carry A Big Book – Sharks in the Time of Saviors

✦ September 5 ✦
Shenwei @ READING (AS)(I)AN (AM)ERICA – The Astonishing Color of After

✦ September 6 ✦
Maria @ A Daughter of Parchment and Paper – Patron Saints of Nothing

✦ September 7 ✦
Bri @ Bri’s Book Nook – True Friends (Carmen Browne)

✦ September 8 ✦
Bec @ bec&books – Lobizona
Jorie @ Jorie Loves A Story – Top Ten Diverse Stories Jorie Felt Deeply Connected To Whilst Reading

✦ September 9 ✦
Sienna @ Daydreaming Book Lover – Loveless

✦ September 10 ✦
Kerri @ Kerri McBookNerd – Raybearer

✦ September 11 ✦
Noly @ The Artsy Reader – The Name Jar

✦ September 12 ✦
Jacob @ The Writer’s Alley – Forest of Souls

✦ September 13 ✦
Keri @ Are You My Book – The Tea Dragon Society

✦ September 14 ✦
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight – The Space Between Worlds

✦ September 15 ✦
Melissa @ Ramblings of a Jedi Librarian – Girl in Translation

✦ September 16 ✦
Livy @ Shelves of Starlight – Clap When You Land

✦ September 17 ✦
Crystal @ Lost in Storyland – American Born Chinese

✦ September 18 ✦
Lili @ Lili’s Blissful Pages – A Wish in the Dark

✦ September 19 ✦
Leslie @ Books Are The New Black – The Poppy War

✦ September 20 ✦
Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura – Love From A to Z

✦ September 21 ✦
Crini @ Crini’s – A Pale Light in the Black

✦ September 22 ✦
Rachelle @ Rae’s Reads and Reviews – Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

✦ September 23 ✦
Dini @ DiniPandaReads – Wicked As You Wish

✦ September 24 ✦
Madeline @ Mad’s Books – Spin the Dawn

✦ September 25 ✦
Tessa @ Narratess – Brace Yourself

✦ September 26 ✦
Kimberly @ My Bookish Bliss – Truly Madly Royally

✦ September 27 ✦
Rena @ Bookflirting 101 – Anna K: A Love Story

✦ September 28 ✦
Susan @ Novel Lives – Burn the Dark

✦ September 29 ✦
Arina @ The Bookwyrm’s Guide to the Galaxy – A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

✦ September 30 ✦
Maya @ Awesome Reads – Jackpot