The horrific events in Atlanta are disturbing, and the more than 3,800 reported hate incidents against Asian Americans in this country have pulled back the curtain on the hate and deeply entrenched racism in the United States. We urge you to educate yourselves on this issue and consider donating to the AAPI Community Fund, GoFundMe’s for the victim’s families,(#1 here, #2 here, and #3 here), and support AAPI owned businesses.
We also wanted to share this Salon article, which examines how victim blaming in the Sarah Everard murder and the Atlanta spa shootings continue to blame women for male violence. Sarah Everard has been on our minds, and we thought this piece is important to share.
We wanted to share some of our favorite books by AAPI authors today. As author Lisa Ko tweeted, white supremacy is not going to be dismantled through diverse reading lists, but books can offer a look into other cultures and worlds and can also just showcase joy, love, families, success, and happiness. We hope you enjoy these books, become fans of these authors, and consider purchasing your copy from an AAPI owned bookstore.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
E’s review
I read this a few years ago, and it’s a rare 5-star book for me! Pachinko follows the story of Sunja, a Korean woman who leaves home for Japan after she finds out she’s pregnant with her married lover’s baby. I learned a lot from this book about the relationship between Korea and Japan in the mid-nineteenth century, but I also found the story super engaging. Though it’s a pretty long book, I couldn’t put it down. This is one I’d like to re-read soon!
The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang
A’s review
I read this two years ago, and really enjoyed it. I feel like it hasn’t gotten its due, so if you like Crazy Rich Asians or even Schitt’s Creek, you will love The Wangs versus the World. The patriarch of the Wang family suddenly loses everything, and he packs up his family and moves them across the country to his eldest daughter’s country house in upstate New York. This book has a great balance of fun, lots of fun New York and fashion-y details, a story about family and sacrifice.
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
A’s review
I read this last month, and really enjoyed this book! It is about five women in South Korea all living in the same apartment building as they navigate beauty standards and plastic surgery, love, work, family, children and power dynamics between men and women in a society that puts a premium on perfection. I really enjoyed this, and can’t wait to see what else this author writes.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
E’s review
I read and reviewed this in February, but Vuong writes beautifully about the experience of growing up gay in Hartford, CT, the son of Vietnamese immigrants. Also check out his poetry collection, Night Sky With Exit Wounds.
My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Lee
A’s review
I am still working my way through this, and loving every minute of it! I have a tendency to “binge-read” and not focus on anything else while reading a book, but with this, I am really savoring the book and taking my time. My Year Abroad is Chang-rae Lee’s newest book and follows the unlikely friendship between your average American college student Tiller and a glamorous and highly successful investor Pong Lou. This book is beautifully written and funny, and I’m already dreading finishing it.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
E’s review
The Namesake is probably Lahiri’s most famous book (but we’re also really excited for her new book coming out this spring, Whereabouts). This book follows a newly married Indian couple as they immigrate from to the U.S., then tells the story of their American-born son, Gogol, as he struggles to find his place amid his parents’ expectations.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
A’s review
I feel like this was every book club’s pick in 2019, and for a good reason. I really enjoyed this book, which follows two very different families in Shaker Heights, a picture perfect town in Ohio. The Richardsons and the Warrens could not be more different, but are drawn together by secrets, family, friendship and motherhood. The plot takes a sharp and unexpected turn, and the TV show with Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington is very good! Of Celeste Ng’s books, E preferred Everything I Never Told You, so check out both!
Anna K by Jenny Lee
E’s review
I must admit I’ve never read Anna Karenina, but I really enjoyed this fun YA retelling of the classic. Set amid the uber-wealthy worlds of New York and Greenwich, CT, Anna K follows the titular heroine as her perfect life is upended by the arrival of Alexia “Count” Wronsky. Good for fans of The Thousandth Floor or Gossip Girl. Also, there’s a sequel coming out in April!
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
A’s review
As I said here, This is probably one of my favorite books. It’s not for the faint of heart, and be mindful of trigger warnings for suicide, suicidal thoughts, self-harm and abuse. This epic follows four best friends coming of age in New York City. To me, this book is about the power of friendship and chosen family, and is a book I come back to again and again.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
E’s review
The Kiss Quotient is a really unique and well-written romance about Stella, a woman with Asperger’s and little sexual experience. Stella hires an escort to help her get more comfortable with intimacy, and of course they end up falling for each other. I’m a sucker for a good romance novel, and this definitely meets the mark!
