Asian-American & Pacific Islander Voices bestsellers

Beautiful Country

“In this brutally honest coming-of-age memoir, Qian Julie Wang comes to terms with the deprivations and struggles of her undocumented Chinese upbringing in New York City in the 1990s.”

Kayleen Rohrer, InkLink Books

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

“Written as a letter from son to mother, Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is desolately beautiful. Each carefully crafted sentence builds upon the last, a momentum that carries you through a hundred pages before you remember to take a breath. Bleak, brilliant, it is the book other books will be compared to for years. Honestly, I would have been fine if it had been the last book I ever read.”

Cody, Book Culture, @thecodystuart

Acclaimed author of Ash Malinda Lo returns with her most personal and ambitious novel yet, a gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s.

"That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other." And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its... Read more »

Beasts of a Little Land

“Juhea Kim's debut novel is at once massive in breadth and intimate in scale. Upending Dickens and Tolstoy by setting some of their themes in Japanese occupied Korea, Kim delves into the depths of her characters - social outcasts all - and builds an ensemble of unique voices that speak to today's world nearly a century on from her setting. Parallels are exposed between the imperialism and revolution of early-twentieth-century Korea and early-twenty-first-century America, Britain, Brazil, Venezuela, Myanmar - take your pick - proving that we have not yet learned from history and are still dooming ourselves to repeat the horror of our past. The setting not only allows for a political backdrop that reverberates to modern readers, but also allows Kim to center her characters in a society shift as well; one where mysticism is giving way to harsh reality; where prior social mores are becoming popular entertainment; and where social outcasts can become leaders of industry. This is a thrilling read, and brought to mind the best of Merchant-Ivory films while also exploring the racist and colonizing effects of the aristocracy.”

Jesse, Odyssey Bookshop

The Reading List

“A beautifully written novel about people connected by a local library and an amazing reading list. As the characters’ lives are revealed through interweaving storylines, readers will root for them, cry for them, and celebrate their victories.”

Lisa Driban, Hockessin Book Shelf

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2022 BY VOGUE * USA TODAY * TIME * OPRAH DAILY * PARADE * THE WASHINGTON POST * BUZZFEED * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING * MARIE CLAIRE * FORTUNE * GLAMOUR * W MAGAZINE * NYLON * BUSTLE * POPSUGAR * ELECTRIC LITERATURE * THE RUMPUS * DEBUTIFUL * AND MORE!
 
A BELLETRIST BOOK CLUB PICK

“Fiona And Jane captures the textures of... Read more »

Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist)

“A father's gentle nature, a mother's sacrifice, a daughter's trust, and a son's determination are the cornerstones of this grand, multilayered saga. Pachinko follows one family through an ever-changing cultural landscape, from 1910 Korea to 1989 Japan. As the bonds of family are put to the test in the harsh realities of their world, Sunja and those she holds dear manage to carve themselves a place to call home with hard work, self sacrifice, and a little kimchi. Through it all is a message about love, faith, and the deep-rooted bonds of family. Min Jin Lee gives us a phenomenal story about one family's struggle that resonates with us today. It will take hold of you and not let go!”

Jennifer Steele, Boswell Book Company

Afterparties

“These stories of the members of a compact Cambodian-American community, from the refugees to the business owners to the gay teenagers, seamlessly balance humor with hardships.”

Sofia Silva Wright, Phoenix Books Burlington

In this One Book, One New York 2019 nominee from the author of National Book Award Finalist Pachinko, the Korean-American daughter of first-generation immigrants strives to join Manhattan's inner circle.Meet Casey Han: a strong-willed, Queens-bred daughter of Korean immigrants immersed in a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle she can't afford. Casey... Read more »

Facing the Mountain

“Hooked by page 5! Daniel James Brown crafts a story as compelling as Isabel Wilkerson's Warmth of Other Suns. Told in the voices of those who lived it, Facing the Mountain describes the Japanese experience in American during WWII in the words of Japanese American soldiers and their interred families. Heroes every one.”

Casey, Innisfree Bookshop

The Chosen and the Beautiful

“A retelling of The Great Gatsby from the perspective of Jordan Baker, who in this concept is a Vietnamese adoptee raised in Louisville. In this version of the roaring 20s, alongside the usual speakeasies and flapper dresses, there’s a reality of demons, ghosts, mysteries, devilish bargains, and magic. Hell is quite literally another location from which beings can emigrate, and every culture has its own intriguing brand of magic. Jordan’s is paper cutting, and she can do wondrous, horrifying things with it. ...Refreshingly, instead of a fantasy plot that revolves around a character honing their powers, montage-style, to save the day, Vo focuses on Jordan’s personality instead. Jordan has always kept her heart aloof, entangling herself with men and women of the smart set, but this summer with Daisy, Gatsby, and quiet and observant Nick Carraway, will change her. is thoughtfully constructed, w/ Jordan’s expanded backstory informing and deepening the beats of the original. On a sentence level, the cadence and tone make you feel right at home in a 1920s classic, even when characters drink demon blood as an aperitif or discuss the troubling influence demons are beginning to have over US politics. And though you know exactly where the plot is headed, there are plenty of shocks and surprises for careful readers. Vo clearly loves and understands the original novel so well, and has accomplished not so much a retelling but a worthy companion piece, a fierce and powerful flip side to one of the great American novels.”

Annie, Magers & Quinn Booksellers

Little Fires Everywhere

“Little Fires Everywhere is a breathtaking novel about art, motherhood, and truth. Mia and her daughter, Pearl, move to the perfectly planned community of Shaker Heights as the last stop on their nomadic adventure, bringing some much-needed permanence to teenager Pearl's life. They both find friendship, but the connections they create with their landlord's family will soon change all of their lives. Impossible to put down or stop thinking about. A great read.”

Stef Schmidt, Water Street Books

Severance

“Candace Chen is a first-generation Chinese millennial immigrant who tries to make a life in New York City by succumbing to the role of the office drone who helps create cheap bibles. But when Shen Fever—a plague that causes its victims to perform a rote task until death—hits, only a few survive, including Candace. She soon finds herself in a cult-like band of other survivors heading to the Midwest while also trying to come to terms with her past and the unknowns of her future. With dark humor, sharp intelligence, and compassion, Ling Ma has written a well-constructed, biting satire of capitalism and a moving glimpse into the roles of memory, place, and identity in a life.”

Kelsey Westenberg, The Dial Bookshop

A witty, moving, piercingly insightful new novel about a marvelously complicated woman who can’t be anyone but herself, from the award-winning author of Chemistry

“A deeply felt portrait . . . With gimlet-eyed observation laced with darkly biting wit, Weike Wang masterfully probes the existential uncertainty of being other in America.”—Celeste... Read more »

"Sutanto brilliantly infuses comedy and culture into the unpredictable rom-com/murder mystery mashup as Meddy navigates familial duty, possible arrest and a groomzilla. I laughed out loud and you will too.”—USA Today (four-star review)

“A hilarious, heartfelt romp of a novel about—what else?—accidental murder and the bond of family. This book... Read more »

Clark and Division

“Clark and Division is a propulsive mystery and a heart-wrenching examination of Japanese internment and relocation in the 1940s. Hirahara beautifully weaves history and injustice into this fascinating and compelling crime novel.”

Luisa Smith, Book Passage

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

“Full of fun and Drama! The women in Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women shake up their community with their racy story writing - and solve a mystery! This book is full of surprises. I loved it. A delight! The narration of the audiobook was well done and greatly added to the story.”

Myrna, Content

If you enjoyed How Much of These Hills Is Gold, then you’ll love The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu.

“Bold, brash, and uniquely unforgettable; the vivid wild West of Tom Lin’s The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is a reading experience you won’t want to miss. Ming Tsu is on a quest for revenge, tearing his way across the wilderness of the old West–leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Filled with colorful characters, hints of the magical, beautiful writing, and entrancing violence; Lin reimagines what the mythology of the American West can mean. With echoes of Cormac McCarthy and C. Pam Zhang’s How Much of These Hills is Gold but with a voice all its own, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is one of the best debut novels of the year. ”

Caleb, Bookmarks

A RUSA Award-winning novel!

The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer....

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant,... Read more »

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • ONE OF TIME’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE • A ruthlessly honest, emotionally charged, and utterly original exploration of Asian American consciousness

“Brilliant . . . To read this book is to become more human.”—Claudia Rankine, author of Citizen

In... Read more »

Interior Chinatown

“We all make choices throughout our lives, choosing different paths to follow, different roles to play. But who selects the options we choose from? Interior Chinatown is like a rapier taken to stereotypes that inhabit society's attitudes towards Asian Americans. The main character, Willis Wu, is a minor actor in an ongoing cop drama who wants to be more than a generic Asian male in the background, maybe even someday becoming "Kung Fu Guy". The novel bounces back and forth between the script Wu is inhabiting and an interior monologue . And one of the strengths of this book, for the reader, is how thin the line sometimes feels between these stereotypical roles that Willis is acting, and the ridiculousness of the particular situation. Interior Chinatown is a brilliant novel, one that challenged this reader in the best possible ways”

Martin, Green Apple Books

Made in China

“This powerful story arises from an improbable source: a crude, hand-written note slipped into Halloween merchandise made in China, a note that leads Pang on a search for its author and introduces her to the nightmare life of Chinese prison labor, so-called re-education camps, the worst horrors of living in a police state, and lives destroyed just for being an independent thinker. The toll on individuals is foregrounded here and summons us to be humane to all.”

Susan Thurin, MainStreet BookEnds of Warner

See You in the Cosmos

“Meet Alex, a space obsessed almost 12 year old who has been recording sounds and conversations on his golden iPod to send into space so aliens can know what it’s like here on earth. He’s done his research, has met a bunch of similarly rocket obsessed friends via an online rocket forum and has determined that the place to send his golden iPod into space is at a rocket festival one state away from his home. Alex has his clothes and tent packed, his AmTrak ticket in hand and his dog, Carl Sagan (named for Alex’s hero), by his side as they set off on an epic road trip adventure to the rocket festival on a quest to communicate with outer space, search for the truth and try to be brave.Sounds like a great family road trip, right? Well, not quite. Because from the beginning of See You in the Cosmos, you notice some things are amiss with Alex’s family and quickly realize that Alex and Carl Sagan are on their own on this adventure. The fact that no one is traveling with or following Alex is a big part of the secrets that Alex uncovers about his family along the way. Each chapter is written as a new sound recording on his iPod. The format is like a play script in that other characters and sounds appear in the storyline. Alex is a delightful narrator of his story and he is full of big questions—not just about space but about his father who died, about his mom and where she goes on her long walks, and about how a kid like him can learn to be brave. He loves space and obviously has a great knowledge of it. He is sweet and kind and has a place in his heart for people—and his dog. There are serious themes in this book but the sound recording format and Alex’s innocence and exuberance keep the heaviness in check. Alex’s story opens up many opportunities for readers to discuss the weighty topics raised in this story. If you are heading out on your own epic family road trip, do check out the audiobook version of See You in the Cosmos on libro.fm as it is out of this world!”

Myrna, Content

Grace M. Cho grew up as the daughter of a white American merchant marine and the Korean bar hostess he met abroad. They were one of few immigrants in a xenophobic small town during the Cold War, where identity was politicized by everyday details—language, cultural references, memories, and food. When Grace was fifteen, her dynamic mother... Read more »

A brilliant, unforgettable, and long-awaited novel from bestselling author Ruth Ozeki

“A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be.”

In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates’ bullying. But before... Read more »

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A New York Times Notable Book * Named a Best Book of the Year by Vogue, TIME, and Marie Claire

“A manifesto to happiness—the one found when you stop running from who you are.” –New York Times Book Review

“An extraordinary book, acrobatic on the level of the sentence, symphonic across its many movements—and... Read more »

Homeland Elegies

“A masterful blend of memoir and fiction, this is an unforgettable journey through the lives of a Muslim family finding their place in a post-9/11 America. A searing navigation of the loves we try to reconcile — familial, religious, societal — and the definition of home. Written with wisdom, wit, and unsparing honesty, this an important book that you will continue to contemplate for a very long time. Both intimate and epic, this is a must-read.”

Pam Stirling, East Bay Booksellers

* NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * PRINTZ HONOR BOOK * WALTER HONOR BOOK *

From New York Times best-selling and acclaimed author Traci Chee comes We Are Not Free, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World... Read more »

"Tran's story is an American immigration story, and so much more. His delivery is crisp and engaging, and maintains just the slightest element of whimsy...If you're a fan of memoirs and a fan of literature, this is a must- listen." -- AudioFile Magazine

This program is read by the author.

For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong,...

Moving, sexy, and archly funny, Gina Apostol's Philippine National Book Award–winning Bibliolepsy is a love letter to the written word and a brilliantly unorthodox look at the rebellion that brought down a dictatorship.

Gina Apostol's debut novel, available for the first time in the US, tells of a young woman caught between a lifelong desire... Read more »

“Absolutely extraordinary...A landmark in the contemporary literature of the diaspora.” —Jia Tolentino, author of Trick Mirror

“If Concepcion were only about Samaha’s mother, it would already be wholly worthwhile. But she was one of eight children in the Concepcion family, whose ancestry Samaha traces in this. . . powerful book.” –The New York... Read more »

From the critically-acclaimed author of The Downstairs Girl comes the richly imagined story of Valora and Jamie Luck, twin British-Chinese acrobats traveling aboard the Titanic on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

Valora Luck has two things: a ticket for the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world, and a dream of leaving England behind and... Read more »

Named A Most Aniticipated Book of 2022 by *Marie Claire* Veranda* PopSugar *Paste* *The Millions* Medium* *Crimereads* Goodreads* Bookbub*Boston.com and more!

Ocean's Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lurical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the... Read more »

A “hauntingly beautiful memoir about family and identity” (NPR) and a young woman's journey to understanding her complicated parents—her mother an Okinawan war bride, her father a Vietnam veteran—and her own, fraught cultural heritage.

Elizabeth's mother was working as a nightclub hostess on U.S.-occupied Okinawa when she met the American soldier... Read more »

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this “entertaining and nuanced” (Kirkus Reviews) romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.

Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her... Read more »

The mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II is not only a tale of injustice; it is a moving story of faith. In this pathbreaking account, Duncan Ryuken Williams reveals how, even as they were stripped of their homes and imprisoned in camps, Japanese American Buddhists launched one of the most inspiring defenses of religious... Read more »

For decades, a quartet of Chinese women who have emigrated to San Francisco gather to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk—they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Over the years, their stories have informed the lives of four daughters who feel the weight of family and world history on their shoulders. With wit and sensitivity, this novel explores... Read more »

This companion novel to Abigail Hing Wen’s New York Times bestselling debut, Loveboat, Taipei, takes readers back to Taipei through the eyes of fan favorites Sophie and Xavier – on an unforgettable journey of glittering revelry and self-discovery that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Mary H. K. Choi. 

Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh have what some... Read more »

How Much of These Hills Is Gold

“In the most inventive and fresh language I’ve seen in a long time, C Pam Zhang’s How Much of These Hills Is Gold, set during the American gold rush, tells the story of siblings Lucy and Sam as they wander the western expanse to give their father a proper burial. Zhang transforms the mythology of the American West and reclaims it through the eyes of first-generation Asian-Americans, tackling themes of race, immigration, and gender and creating a new narrative of a voice and people often left out of this pivotal historical period. Strange and surreal, this is a novel to read with care and gratitude.”

Chris Alonso, Books & Books

Part puzzle, part revenge tale, part ghost story, this ingenious novel spins half a century of Vietnamese history and folklore into “a thrilling read, acrobatic and filled with verve” (The New York Times).
 
FINALIST FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION’S FIRST NOVEL PRIZE • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Good... Read more »

All You Can Ever Know

“Nicole Chung’s clear and introspective memoir brings new light to the search for identity and navigating both the past and the future when surrounded by the complexity of those who love you. As a transracial adoptee, the incongruity of growing up happy yet uncomfortably different leads her to search out the truth about her birth parents when she is on the brink of becoming a parent herself. This unique, difficult, and often surprising journey considers what one needs most in the world to belong.”

Melinda, Bookshop Santa Cruz

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE

A lyrical novel set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution that follows a father’s quest to reunite his family before his precocious daughter’s momentous birthday, which Garth Greenwell calls “one of the most beautiful debuts I’ve read in years.”

“A beautifully written,... Read more »

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Riveting and unconventional, The Last Story of Mina Lee traces the far-reaching consequences of secrets in the lives of a Korean immigrant mother and her daughter

Margot Lee's mother is ignoring her calls. Margot can’t understand why, until she makes a surprise trip home to Koreatown, LA,... Read more »

"Narrator Ali Ahn gives this young adult rom-com fun doses of personality and sass...Ahn's accents and Japanese pronunciations ring true as she clearly differentiates characters of different ages and nationalities." -- AudioFile Magazine

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK!

The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians in Emiko...

White Ivy

“Ivy Lin’s unassuming looks and demeanor hide a dark side. She is obsessed with the wealth and privilege she sees around her and will cross boundaries to get what she needs — most of all, the object of her teenage affection. Susie Yang crafts a brilliant and mesmerizing tale that gives readers an intimate look into the experience of immigrants. Well-written prose, excellent characters, and a surprising turn of events will keep readers hooked until the end — and it is a doozy.”

Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books

“Suspenseful…emotionally compelling. I found myself eagerly following in a way I hadn’t remembered for a long time, impatient for the next twist and turn of the story."—NPR

An Afghan American woman returns to Kabul to learn the truth about her family and the tragedy that destroyed their lives in this brilliant and compelling novel from the...

A hilarious and heartwarming New York Times bestselling novel—the basis for the acclaimed major motion picture!

"There's rich, there's filthy rich, and then there's crazy rich ... A Pride and Prejudice-like send-up about an heir bringing his Chinese-American girlfriend home to meet his ancestor-obsessed family.” –PEOPLE

When New Yorker Rachel Chu... Read more »

If you enjoyed Wow, No Thank You., then you’ll love Chemistry.

“This is not your average break-up novel This is not your average ANYTHING novel Science is a logical way to understand the world But what about when science complicates your world, instead of simplifies? What about when the world simply isn't logical?”

Lafe, Oblong Books

Miracle Creek

“Miracle Creek is a courtroom drama with impeccable pacing, an original plot, and stellar writing. It’s also a remarkably empathetic book, exploring the ripple effects of causality and the urgent need to do right by each other in big and small ways, recognizing that even the best of us will fail once in a while. It is a lovely reminder that even when doing the right thing feels like swimming upstream, we never know what harm may be prevented and what good might come from our actions. Agreat read that deserves broad success.”

Sara Hinckley, Hudson Booksellers

Days of Distraction

“There are few things I love more than stepping into the sensibility of a smart, funny, observant narrator. The 24 year Chinese American tech writer at the center of Alexandra Chang's Days of Distraction is one of those creations. We meet her in transition—trying to decide whether she should leave the Bay Area to accompany her longtime boyfriend to parts unknown. Her en passant insights into relationships, racism, workplace and family dynamics are both sharp and generous. ”

Kathy, Belmont Books