Asian American Voices bestsellers

“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”

“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!”

“As with her previous novels, Lisa See manages to transport the reader to another culture. Using the universal themes of friendship and female empowerment See brings a WWII Korean island to life. Mi-ja and Young-sook, sisters of the heart, grow together and then are forced apart by circumstances much larger than themselves. The story shifts between older Young-sook and the younger girls teasing out the conflict and making the reader anxious for resolution! The narrator flows seamlessly from American English into Korean (towns, names and some common terms), a huge help if you are not familiar with Korean words.”

“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.”

“Readers who enjoyed the run away hit Little Fires Everywhere will devour this new, slightly edgier fiction release, We All Love the Beautiful Girls.”

“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.”

“ How can someone write about China? It’s a land of contradictions and multitudes seemingly impossible to tease apart. Te-ping Chen has managed to do just that with this slim and stunning short story collection. Each entry is a small glimpse into someone’s life; you will hunger for more. The book blends the real with the surreal to delicately touch on topics like technology, censorship, globalization, and conformity in surprising ways. The collection is like a perfect pearl: brilliant, gleaming and a little elusive.”

“If ever a book could be compared to a vegetable, this book is an onion. Starting from its center; a Chinese-American family is living and working in a mining town when teenagers Sam and Lucy have to leave when their father dies. Layers upon layers ensue with beautiful narration to tell the story of a family that spent their life searching for a place and a feeling to call HOME.”

“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.”

“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.”

“This captivating story is set in a remote Yunnan village where, for many years, the Akha people have followed the rituals and cycles of harvesting tea leaves. Slowly, the changes going on in the rest of China begin to reach the area. Li-yan, one of the few educated girls in the village, acts as translator for a stranger seeking a rare tea from Yunnan. When Li-yan gives birth to a baby out of wedlock, she wraps her baby in a blanket along with a package of the rare tea and leaves her in a city where she will be taken to an orphanage. Over the years, mother and daughter dream of finding one another again. Brew yourself a cup of tea and settle down to read this tale of family and the search for answers in different places and cultures.”

“Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For years, Stanley has claimed that he's worth a small fortune. But the time is now coming when the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and Stanley's family is nervous. I loved this family drama. Set in Silicon Valley amid tech companies, the story is told from several different narrators and weaves the story together wonderfully.”

“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.”

“Young readers will connect with the challenges of pursuing interests that your family may not be too thrilled about, and the lengths you'll go to for your dreams to come true!”

“This Time Will Be Different was a pleasure to listen to, although the story wasn’t all sunshine and daisies. Seventeen-year-old CJ works with her aunt at their family-owned flower shop in California. She’s not sure that she believes in flower magic or romance, but CJ has a knack for choosing and arranging stems to suit any occasion. She loves what she does, but her mother is less than impressed with CJ’s lackluster academic performance and floral “hobby.” This book explores the pressure of living up to parents’ expectations (whether its to be heterosexual or high-achieving), rejecting the model minority stereotype and white saviorism, reparations for families of interned Japanese Americans, and normalizing abortion. It even hits the spot with a little romance. This Time Will Be Different is a symphony of complicated teen life. ”

“Raw, but not unpolished. Dripping with sadness and honey. Rage beyond anger, a lesson in history and violence. A comprehensible example of otherness in America for those who haven’t experienced it; for those who don’t know they’re perpetuating it. An honest portrayal of a life shaped by governments’ omissions, of the lies of the self and others, and of waking to the daylight, the promise held in sunshine, and in finding one’s own voice, own words, own way of telling one’s own story.”

“The unnamed narrator of Wang's winning and insightful novel is working on her PhD in synthetic organic chemistry, but the chemistry she really needs to learn is the one that makes relationships click. The prodigy daughter of high-achieving Chinese American parents, she's always strived to meet their demanding expectations. Then, suddenly, she just can't. Her lab work falters. She's unable to accept or decline her boyfriend's marriage proposal. But when she has a breakdown and loses in both academia and in love, she finally realizes how angry she is. Coming to terms with her past becomes her next project, and soon she can see her parents in a new light - and they aren't the fierce tiger couple they'd always seemed to be.”

“Jamie Ford has written another fabulous story. In Love and Other Consolation Prizes, a child is raffled off as a prize at a world's fair in Seattle in 1909. Based on a real-life raffle, this story is about Ernest Young, a Chinese orphan refugee who is won by the owner of The Tenderloin, a brothel where he becomes the house boy and lives a life with enough food to eat and hope for the future. During the Seattle World's Fair of 1962, Ernest reminisces about all of the life he lived between the two fairs.”

“I'LL BE THE ONE has the perfect summer romance feel. The entire time I was reading I wished I was at the pool, in an adorable swim suit, soaking up the sun and listening to some KPop. Skye's voice is so distinct I could hear her narrating over my shoulder. A perfect read to hand to teens looking for a light romance (aka no sex), queer characters, and a confident plus-sized main character who handles fat-shaming from many fronts with a strength that will leave you cheering. I'm so glad this is a book one because I'm already counting the days until book two!”

“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. ”

“Frankly in Love is a breathtaking, sit-on-the-floor-sobbing, smile-till-your-face-hurts whirlwind of a novel. David Yoon’s writing is extraordinary: carefree and playful, yet deep and resonating. Embedded throughout are gems that encapsulate the humanity of being young, being in love, and discovering who you are and who you aren’t. Not only is this a compelling and engrossing story of love and growing up, it powerfully hits many notes regarding race, family, and biases. I know this will be a book that will continue to resonate with me for a long time, and I can’t wait to share it so that it will stick in other readers’ hearts, too.””