A book list by Onset & Rime.
We're closing out May with a list of 15 books to take you beyond Asian Heritage Month. This list of reads is all about celebrating Asian authors and their stories.
Contemporary
1) HANA KHAN CARRIES ON by Uzma Jalaluddin
A “You’ve Got Mail” inspired rom com set between competing halal restaurants.
2) INTERIOR CHINATOWN by Charles Yu
The story of an Asian-American actor struggling against cliched roles and stereotypes.
3) UNMARRIAGEABLE by Soniah Kamal
A retelling of “Pride and Prejudice” set in modern-day Pakistan.
NARRATIVE NON-FICTION / BIOGRAPHY
4) CRYING IN H MART by Michelle Zauner
A powerful memoir about family, food, grief, and endurance.
5) GOOD TALK by Mira Jacob
A memoir in graphic novel form addressing difficult conversations about race, sex, love, and family.
HISTORICAL FICTION
6) HOW MUCH OF THESE HILLS IS GOLD by C. Pam Zhang
Two orphaned siblings try to survive in the dying days of the American gold rush.
7) THE SYMPATHIZER by Viet Thanh Nguyen
A gripping spy novel that examines the legacy of the Vietnam War.
MYSTERY/THRILLER
8) ARSENIC AND ADOBO by Mia P. Manansala
The first book in the culinary themed cozy mystery series "Tita Rosie’s Kitchen."
9) THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X by Keigo Higashino (translated by Alexander O. Smith)
A cat-and-mouse game between a brilliant inspector and a mathematical genius.
SCI-FI / FANTASY
10) JADE CITY by Fonda Lee
An epic saga involving magical crime syndicates, intergenerational blood feuds, and the pursuit of jade.
11) SEVERANCE by Ling Ma
A satirical apocalyptic novel exploring themes of routine, monotony, and modern office culture.
12) THE GHOST BRIDE by Yangsze Choo
A supernatural story drawing on Malay folklore and superstition.
YOUNG ADULT
13) DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY by Adib Khorram
A cross-cultural coming-of-age novel.
14) OUTRUN THE MOON by Stacey Lee
A story about an enterprising young Chinese woman living through the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
15) THE SILENCE OF BONES by June Hur
A historical murder mystery set in 1800s Joseon (Korea).