What else are you reading thread?

[Marvin, Bobamaster]

We know there's way more books out there than we can cover, so let us know what books by Asian & Asian American authors you're reading! If there's enough discussion, we'll start a new thread so we can go more in depth and get spoilery!

[Lauren]

I read Mike Chen’s “Here and Now and Then” a few weeks ago, and I read all of Sarah Kuhn’s “I Love You So Mochi” just last week. I enjoyed them both very much!

[Linda]

I just started "White Chrysanthemum by" Mary Lynn Bracht. So far so good, but a little painful since it partly takes place in Korea in the 1940's during the Japanese Occupation and covers the topic of comfort women.

[Marvin, Bobamaster]

Linda wrote: "I just started "White Chrysanthemum by" Mary Lynn Bracht. So far so good, but a little painful since it partly takes place in Korea in the 1940's during the Japanese Occupation and covers the topic..."

Sounds like a heavy read, I haven't read anything super bleak in a while, though "The Poppy War" by RF Kuang got pretty heavy at parts

[Lauren]

I'm conducting an experiment currently. In preparation for its fifth anniversary next month, I'm re-reading my debut novel, "A Moment's Worth," and boy has it been quite an experience so far!

[Lauren]

I read "The Dragon Republic" in less than a week. Has anyone else here had a chance to read that one all the way through yet?

[Lauren]

I just finished reading Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir, “Greetings from Bury Park.” That’s the book that served as the inspiration for the film, “Blinded by the Light.” I wrote a little review on it if you want to check that out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Marvin, Bobamaster]

Lauren wrote: "I read "The Dragon Republic" in less than a week. Has anyone else here had a chance to read that one all the way through yet?"

I finished the Dragon Republic too! I thought it was a really strong follow up to TPW, definitely a tighter story and am excited for the 3rd book! It was super interesting to see western imperialism/colonialism allegories as major points in both The Dragon Republic and Fonda Lee's Jade War

[Lauren]

I haven’t read Jade War, but the sentiments are mutual regarding how the topic is covered in The Dragon Republic. And yes, this one was a lot tighter than its predecessor. I’m already anxiously waiting to see how Rebecca plans to finish it off.

[David]

Penguin Classics re-released Korean-American author Younghill Kang's East Goes West which he published back in 1937. Aside from being a great read from what is clearly the first Korean-American author, Kang taught with Thomas Wolfe, dined with Hemingway and Fitzgerald and was published by Maxwell Perkins. This thing should be part of the canon - Great read!

[Lauren]

I’m about to start reading “Frankly in Love” today. It’s the debut novel of David Yoon, and if the last name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s also the husband of author Nicola Yoon (“The Sun Is Also a Star,” “Everything, Everything”). I’ll let you know how this one goes once I’m done.

[Claudine]

Just finished reading America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo, and I'm almost done with Somewhere in the Middle: A journey to the Philippines in search of roots, belonging, and identity by Deborah Francisco Douglas.

[han.oolong]

still slowly milling thru Ocean Vuongs' On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous which can get heavy --- might try to find something
lighter n shorter for some side reading before coming back and finishing it. not too into poetry but for those who are i'd recommend starting there in introducing urself 2 him, before diving into this biographical//memoir work, which i think in some ways is written to his mother after her passing.

[Lauren]

I just finished reading "Frankly in Love." While I did do a review of it, what I will say here is that it's a good novel that really dives into the experience of being Korean American and the child of immigrants as well. While I did feel that there were a few subplots that weren't as well executed as they could have been, they're not too inferior in the larger context of the story. It's still a pretty solid debut from David Yoon.

[Reera, Bookmaster]

Lauren wrote: "I just finished reading "Frankly in Love." While I did do a review of it, what I will say here is that it's a good novel that really dives into the experience of being Korean American and the child..."

I am really excited to read "Frankly in Love." I really am a sucker for Korean American rom-coms.

[Fatima]

Lauren wrote: "I just finished reading "Frankly in Love." While I did do a review of it, what I will say here is that it's a good novel that really dives into the experience of being Korean American and the child..."
I just finished it also a while back. I really enjoyed it. Especially how Frank's relationship with his parents plays out. It was such an interesting dynamic and so relatable at times.

[Danielle]

Ooh, I preordered that on my Kindle app, but haven't started it yet. Paul's one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter though, so I'm looking forward to it!

[Marvin, Bobamaster]

I finally finished Jade War & The True Queen last month. The True Queen ended in a self contained way, but man... I need Jade Legacy NOW!

[Jill]

Super curious if anyone has some good graphic novels/comics to recommend. I recently read Wild Strawberries at the World's End by Bruce Kim, which is 90s Korea with a suspense/mystery story.

[Marvin, Bobamaster]

Jill wrote: "Super curious if anyone has some good graphic novels/comics to recommend. I recently read Wild Strawberries at the World's End by Bruce Kim, which is 90s Korea with a suspense/mystery story."

I'm sure we've recommended these before, but The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui is a great graphic memoir about the Vietnamese American refugee experience. We've been longtime fans of Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and illusatrated by Sana Takeda

[Reera, Bookmaster]

Jill wrote: "Super curious if anyone has some good graphic novels/comics to recommend. I recently read Wild Strawberries at the World's End by Bruce Kim, which is 90s Korea with a suspense/mystery story."

I've heard great things about Mira Jacob's Good Talk: Memoir in Conversations . She's the author of Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing. Her memoir dives into topics about Indian American diaspora, colorism, and interracial relationships.

[David]

Just finished Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha. It's a work of fiction inspired by the shooting of Latasha Harlins by Korean store owner Soon Ja Du back in '91 that saw Los Angeles ablaze. This thing is a jaw dropper of a book and inspired some digging - specifically the National Geographic documentary LA 92 about the riots that gripped the city.

[Marvin, Bobamaster]

David, if you haven't seen it yet, you should watch the documentary "Sai I Gu" by Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, which was made in the immediate aftermath of the uprising and features the perspectives of local Korean American women.

The full film is available on YouTube here - https://youtu.be/G_UyYj-pR8U

[Linda]

For people that like historical fiction :
I highly recommend "How we disappeared" by Jing Jing Lee (her debut novel). I picked it up randomly at the library and was pleasantly surprised! It goes between 1944 when Japan took over Singapore and present day Singapore. There are 2 POV's - 1 middle school grade boy and 1 woman who survived the war. It touches on depression, tragedy, secrets, survival, coping, and family.
**It does relive the comfort women tragedy.

Lee's writing was very fluid and her voice for the middle school boy was spot on. I thought this book was a gem and it probably didn't get a lot of press here b/c the author lives and works in Singapore?

[Lauren]

I’m currently reading Mike Chen’s new novel, “A Beginning at the End.” I’m nearly halfway through it at the moment and so far, much like his previous novel, it’s really good.

Also, as much as I wanted to participate with reading the first chosen read for the year, “The Three-Body Problem,” I’m afraid this proves to be an extremely difficult book to check out from the library. You can’t check out the hard copy, and the wait list for the e-copy is in the hundreds. There will come a day where I’ll finally read this highly raved masterpiece, but until then, I look forward to your discussion about it.

[Reera, Bookmaster]

Lauren wrote: "I’m currently reading Mike Chen’s new novel, “A Beginning at the End.” I’m nearly halfway through it at the moment and so far, much like his previous novel, it’s really good.

Also, as much as I wa..."

We interviewed Mike on our show not that long ago, so stay tuned for that episode! A Beginning at the End was strangely a timely read with news of the coronavirus spreading. I liked the slice-of-life aspect of the novel, especially since it's set in a dystopian San Francisco. I do wish that the pacing was a little faster.

I haven't started it yet, but I just received Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer Chow. Set in L.A., the novel follows Mimi Lee, a pet groomer who gets embroiled in a murder. Her talking cat, Marshmallow, helps her collect clues to help clear Mimi's name.

[Lauren]

Nice!!! I can’t wait to hear the interview.

And yeah, I’ve been thinking the exact same thing about how strangely timely the novel is with the coronovavirus going on right now. The strange part is that while the story is set in the Bay Area, we’ve only had one diagnosis as of recently.

[Lauren]

Currently reading Kawai Strong Washburn’s debut novel, “Sharks in the Time of Saviors.” I’m about 70% of the way through it and I can already attest to it being quite a moving novel indeed.

[Lauren]

I finished reading Sharks in the Time of Saviors this morning. I wrote a little review about it that you can find here. All I'll say here is that if ever want to do another book by a Pacific Islander author - and a recent one, might I add - for this book club, I would go with this one if I were you.

[Lily]

I’m currently reading The Temple of the Golden Pavillion by Yukiko Mishima and I’m finding it to be a challenging read! I would love to discuss if anyone else has read it!

[Scott]

I just finished The Sabbatical Months by Tosh Tamura. The book of poetry was recommended to me by a good friend. The work is raw, but it spoke to me. I could relate to the poet’s journey out of darkness. I’m sure many will be able to relate. If you read it, please share your thoughts.

[bkey]

I recommend Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. It's a bit long, but it has a lot of interesting, realistic Korean American characters.

[Lauren]

I just started reading Ted Chiang's recent short story collection, Exhalation: Stories this morning. I'll be sure to follow up once I've completed it.

[Crystal]

I just finished Gene Luen Yang’s newest graphic novel Dragon Hoops. Pretty awesome. Part memoir, part documentary about the high school basketball team at his former teaching job. I guess it could also be called narrative non-fiction with illustrations? I’m still reading The Woman Warrior, but next, I’m going to start Marie Lu’s newest book for my local book club.

[Anna]

I am also reading a lot of Ted Chiang recently! He is a genius imo. Even though I didn't enjoy Exhalation (the story, not the book) not that much.

I myself I am currently in the midst of Killing Commendatore Part 2 by Haruki Murakami

[Queralt✨]

elle wrote: "I recommend Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. It's a bit long, but it has a lot of interesting, realistic Korean American characters."
I tried the audiobook but Audible has a weird audio glitch and the characters start sounding like chipmunks in chapter 2 :(

I am currently reading Lisa See's The Island of Sea Women and I'm loving it! I had no expectations for it since the synopsis does not seem to share much of the story, but I was intrigued by knowing of the haenyo during the Korean War and Japanese occupation. I have seen a lot of books about this period, but never any story set in Jeju island til now.

[☆ Katie ☆]

A few of my favorites from Asian American authors
Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve
Miracle Creek
If I Had Your FaceOne Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment
Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China
The Magical Language of Others

[Marvin, Bobamaster]

Katie wrote: "A few of my favorites from Asian American authors
Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve
Miracle Creek
[book:If I Had You..."
Haha, that sounds like quite a bit more than just a few...

[Lauren]

I finally finished reading Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang. The thing with reading short story collections - regardless of whether all the stories are from one author or not - is that you're going to get a mixed bag. This collection is no different. There were some stories that I liked and there were some that I skipped over. What I will say is that if you're big into sci-fi or just speculative fiction in general, then I think you're going to like this.

By the way, if you want to hear the first story, "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," read aloud, you'll be happy to hear that two episodes of the podcast, LeVar Burton Reads, are devoted to reading this fascinating tale. You can check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

[Kathryn]

Currently reading "Out" by Natsuo Kirino.

[Lauren]

I just finished reading the latest "Heroine Complex" novel from Sarah Kuhn, Haunted Heroine. I think out of the books from this series so far, this one is the most introspective. I really liked it.

[Hiccup]

Recently finished the YA novel Parachutes by Kelly Yang and I’m glad to have read it. Yang discusses the heavy topic of sexual assault and sexual harassment along with the prejudice Asians and Asian-Americans face that is too often swept under the rug, all through the approachable perspectives of two young women. The subtle racism and micro-aggressions the protagonists experience and how they react really struck a nerve in me.

It’s a hard book to get through in the best sense.

[Lauren]

Just finished reading The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee. Both books of the Kyoshi duology make for a fantastic addition to the universe of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "The Legend of Korra." If you consider yourself a fan, I suggest you check these books by Yee out.

[Jenna]

I listened to your interview with Fonda Lee recently so I picked up a copy of Jade City. I just finished it and it was so good! Thanks for the recommendation. Plus I heard they are adapting it for a tv show.

[Reera, Bookmaster]

Jenna wrote: "I listened to your interview with Fonda Lee recently so I picked up a copy of Jade City. I just finished it and it was so good! Thanks for the recommendation. Plus I heard they are adapting it for ..."

Yesss! We'll never stop hyping Jade City . It's going to make an incredible show.

[Reera, Bookmaster]

I recently finished Suzanne Park's Loathe At First Sight and was impressed by the sharp wit and accurate depiction of what it's like to be a woman working in the game industry. Since the book is being marketed as a romance novel, I expected it to concentrate more on the enemies-to-lovers storyline. Turns out the male love interest doesn't stay a rival for long. Instead, almost every other guy Melody, the protagonist, works with is the enemy.

The story, however, is heavily focused on Melody struggling to get her game launched despite the overwhelming odds against her, including getting doxed by misogynistic gamer bros. I thought Suzanne did a great job depicting the sexism, racism, and not so micro microaggresions women endure in a male-dominated workplace.

The book runs a little long, but I was engaged throughout the whole read. The cast is huge in this book, but I found every character to be unique and well developed. My biggest criticisms are that the book ran a little long and the romance was slow going.

[Alissa]

I just finished reading The Mermaid From Jeju by Sumi Hahn and it was a poetic page turner! I will recommend it to any historical fiction nerd out there!

[Rebecca]

I *loved* The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa! One of the best cat-centered books I've read :)

[David]

So I'm reading a ton of Korean books in translation and want to send one your way as well! The Literature Translation Institute of Korea has sent me a dozen Korean works in translation released in North American in 2020 and wants to spread the love. I'm giving away several copies of a book of your choosing as I do the work of reviewing some of them. The first review is up for Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 which also has details on the contest if you're interested.

[Ada]

I recently read Inferno: A Memoir of Motherhood and Madness by Catherine Cho. It was a really interesting read about postpartum psychosis. She retraces her past in order to piece together her reality after it happens. It's a heavy read, but well worth it.