5.6 (May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month)

[Cynthia]

5.6 - May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
To celebrate this month read a novel that takes place in a Asian/Pacific county, that features an Asian/Pacific American character, or written by an Asian/Pacific American author.

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month

If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task post them here.

[Sarah (Mood Reader)]

I need some suggestions please!

[Sara ♥]

I think I'm going to read A Step from Heaven by An Na, who is Korean American.

*Memoirs of a Geisha takes place in Japan...
*Kimchi & Calamari is a very cute YA book about a Korean boy who was adopted by an Italian family (when he was really young) and how he gets more in touch with his Korean side because of a school "heritage" project.

[Nicole]

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that it has to be a book by an Asian-Pacific author or in an Asian-Pacific country. The link that Cynthia included explained what Asian-Pacific means. I too thought at first that it meant any Asian country/author.

[Sara ♥]

*clicks the link*

"May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia..., Micronesia... and Polynesia...." (emphasis added)

I think Asia is fair game. Plus, Japan's totally an island group. ;)

[Melissa]

Some books I've enjoyed, which Cynthia may or may not okay for this...

Saving Fish from Drowning: A Novel
The Kitchen God's Wife
Spring Moon: A Novel of China
Starship & Haiku

[Nicole]

Sara ♥ wrote: "*clicks the link*

"May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asia..."

I am retarded. I am fatiguing from making my list. Thank you Sara!!!!

[Sara ♥]

No problem! I figure we want this task as broad as possible, after the Hawaii task last challenge! ;)

[Sarah (Mood Reader)]

I hope she okay's the Kitchen God's Wife, I've been wanting to read it!

[Cait]

I think I am going to read something by Murakami.

[TMBookluvr]

I think i'm going to read memoirs of a geisha. Been wanting to read that for a while and it's been on my bookshelf for a while.
That should work right?

[Nicole]

Cait wrote: "I think I am going to read something by Murakami."

Me too. I am going with After Dark

[Katie]

I'm either going to read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan or Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto.

[Fiona (Titch)]

I am going to read The Kitchen God's Wife

[Pollyanna]

Would Snow Flower and the Secret Fan be okay for this one?

[Cynthia]

Pollyanna wrote: "Would Snow Flower and the Secret Fan be okay for this one?"

Yes she is Chinese-American.

[kiki]

Women of the Silk is a lovely story.

[Krista]

I'm thinking of using either A Town Like Alice or The Housekeeper and the Professor. I think they both would work for this task.

[Donna Jo]

Krista wrote: "I'm thinking of using either A Town Like Alice or The Housekeeper and the Professor. I think they both would work for this task."

Krista, I really, really liked A Town like Alice. I though the Housekeeper and the Professor a little lame--certainly not awful, but not as wondeful as I wanted it to be.

[Krista]

Donna Jo wrote: "Krista wrote: "I'm thinking of using either A Town Like Alice or The Housekeeper and the Professor. I think they both would work for this task."

Krista, I really, really liked A Town like Alice. ..."

Thanks Donna Jo! You're reviews are so spot on for my tastes. I really trust your opinion.
A Town Like Alice it is.

:-)

[Usako]

I think I'll read A Town Like Alice, too! I could read the sequel to Empress Orchid which I recently bought buuuuut I heard the sequel wasn't as good as Empress Orchid.

[Melissa]

Okay, dumb question, but does India count as an Asian country? I have a book set in India already on my TBR and I am trying to find homes for them first.

[Sara ♥]

India's in Asia, so... I'd say yes.

[Krista]

Tanja wrote: "I think I'll read A Town Like Alice, too! I could read the sequel to Empress Orchid which I recently bought buuuuut I heard the sequel wasn't as good as Empress Orchid."

I just saw on the help thread for the 'What's In a Name' task that Nevil Shute is a pen name. So for those of you planning on doing the Reading with Style challenge this quarter, this book would earn a Combo Point bonus. (If Sam selects both of these tasks for the Reading w/Style Challenge.) I LOVE that challenge!

[Diane]

Just for clarification. Does it have to be an Asian AND Pacific country or an Asian OR Pacific country (i.e. would a non-Asian South Pacific island work?)?

[Diane]

Never mind, I got my answer from Cynthia's link:

"May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island)."

[Liz M]

Diane wrote: "Never mind, I got my answer from Cynthia's link:

"May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian-Pa..."

Oh! So Australia is not included.

[Rora]

I think I'll read Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko. It's been on my TBR pile for awhile. (I'm assuming Russia is included in the Asian part)

[Kaion]

Depends on which part of Russia, doesn't it? As I understand it, west of the Ural Mountains is European-Russia and east of the Ural Mountains is Asian-Russia. (Does make the whole two-continents thing seem silly.)

[Melissa]

Sara ♥ wrote: "India's in Asia, so... I'd say yes."

well, just wasn't sure we were including subcontinents in this... ;)

[Sara ♥]

Yeah, Asia is a freaking gigantic place... but I hadn't considered the different subcontinents... (Errr... maybe because I didn't know about them?? ;) ) I just always think of maps like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia#Pol...

[TeresaFL]

I just downloaded Petals from the Sky by Mingmei Yip since she's from Hong Kong and from what I've read this is set mainly in Asia would this one be ok? (It was a free Kindle download!)

[Cynthia]

Teresa wrote: "I just downloaded Petals from the Sky by Mingmei Yip since she's from Hong Kong and from what I've read this is set mainly in Asia would this one be ok? (It was a fre..."

yes

[Usako]

Teresa - THANKS! FREE KINDLE d/l! SOLD!

[Angie (Literary Labors)]

I didn't see this posted yet...

Here's a link to the APALA (Asian Pacific American Librarians Association) awards books.

[Angie (Literary Labors)]

Oh, scroll down to the bottom of the page (of the link posted above), and you'll find links to past APALA winners (2002-2009).

[Deedee]

I was considering using The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives by Shankar Vedantam (Hardcover, 288 pages). Shankar Vedantam appears to be an American of East Asian descent (Indian?) Thanks!

[Jennifer]

I found this as a free download for the Kindle:

Sushi for One?

The author is from Hawaii, and the characters in the book are described as Asian-Americans. I believe it fits the task. Unfortunately, it looks like the Kindle download is no longer free!

[Kate]

Okay, I just re-read that list of countries and I noticed New Zealand is on it. Also, on another note, does The Piano Teacher work? I don't know anything about this book... but it looks good.

[Lisa]

Kathryn wrote: "Okay, I just re-read that list of countries and I noticed New Zealand is on it. Also, on another note, does The Piano Teacher work? I don't know anything about this book... but it lo..."

I used The Piano Teacher for this task. It takes place in Hong Kong.
You can click on the book for my review.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Does Unaccustomed Earth work for this task? Of Indian heritage, I assume Lahiri is OK for an author, but this is a collection of stories, so not sure about the "novel" part.

[Deedee]

How about Michelle Sagara? from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle... Michelle Sagara She's Japanese-Canadian not Japanese-American, but I thought the point of this task is that she is of Japanese ancestory, not whether or not she lives in America.