Read These Books Written by AAPI Authors
Just do it.
Before May comes to a close, I wanted to share a secret goal of mine of actively seeking out and reading more books that spoke to the Asian diaspora and stories specific to our cultural history. It gives me a greater understanding and knowledge of where I—not just as in my family lineage but also “I” as part of the Asian race—came from and how we’ve come to where we are today, especially the ways in which we live alongside all communities of color. And no matter how fictional the stories may be, they are still based on events that are very much true to the Asian narrative itself. My active decision to incorporate more Asian-American novels into my reading habits further deepens my hopes of getting closer to defining my Asian identity and what it truly means to me in the present age.
I started an Instagram thread of books written by AAPI authors to celebrate and close out AAPI Heritage Month with further education (although, the learning should never really stop). The first six books are books I’ve personally read and really enjoyed, but more importantly, speak to the Asian diaspora eloquently:
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
Run Me To Earth by Paul Yoon
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
And now some suggestions by others who added to the list (thank you so much for sharing!):
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Dear Girls by Ali Wong
Nothing Ever Dies by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Year of Blue Water by Yanyi
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Awakening by Cathy Park Hong
The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang
*Books are all linked to secondhand bookstores or online book shops that send a book to someone in need with every book purchase
The list most certainly does not end here, and I’ll continue to update the list as I read/hear of more! Would love to hear your suggestions as well, so please feel free to comment below.
Update: Gold House, a premier collective of pioneering pan-Asian founders, creative voices, and leaders, is launching a Book Club where books are chosen by top Asian American scholars and writers to help Asian Americans better understand their identity and culture in today’s political and social climate. Join here
