Recs if you like Amberlough...

Books on my TBR with LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.

Fantasy and sci-fi books where much of the plot is driven by politics

please read something that isn't hp and don't give that lady money. alternatively, if you know of someone who says they like fantasy but their shelves are only filled with white guys, suggest one of these! (I've only added books I have read so if something isn't on there that you think should be lmk)

This list features book covers illustrated by LA-based Illustrator Victo Ngai. Her work is heavily detailed and often features fantastical/mythological elements. From her website, "I grew up in Hong Kong until 18, my parents still live there and I will always see it as home. I was exposed to Chinese art and craft from a young age, such as Nian Hua, Gong Bi Hua, and Lian Hua Hua. Unknowingly I have developed a keen taste for intricate lines and vibrant flat colors which led to my discovery of Japanese ukiyo-e, Art-Neurvo art, Chinese and Russian Propaganda posters and Golden Age illustrations. The energy, colors and dense urban textures from Hong Kong have also worked their ways into my work."

(please note that in some cases, her work is one of multiple versions of cover art for the same book, so it may appear as a different version here than the one she illustrated. In some cases I have avoided adding specific versions to curb confusion)

Ok strictly speaking not all of these are about expats but they are about travel and cultural exchange to the point of being stuck between cultures or part of more than one.

Most (but not all) are fantasy/ scifi because that’s what I like; many tackle themes of imperialism/ control, some others focus on immigration or refugee experience or navigating unfamiliar cultures.