It’s one way to celebrate the contributions of AAPI people to American culture, history, and progress.
Getting lost in a good book isn’t just a way to pass the time, it’s also a way to learn about different cultures you may not otherwise be exposed to. Since May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we thought we’d compile a non-exhaustive list of books from AAPI authors that came out this year. Our reading recommendations include titles from all kinds of genres — from thrillers to romance and memoirs — so there’s something for everyone. While you buy from AAPI-owned businesses during May, and hopefully all year long, you can also support these authors.
But first, here’s a little history lesson: AAPI Heritage Month first began as a one-week acknowledgment in 1978 and then, in 1992, was extended to the entire month of May. Congress chose May specifically because it has a few important anniversaries in AAPI history: The first immigration of Japanese people into the U.S. was on May 7, 1943, and the transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, by a majority of Chinese immigrants. Today, it’s meant to celebrate the achievements and contributions of AAPI people to American culture, history, and progress. Reading books by AAPI authors is just one way to appreciate the rich heritage of Asian-American and Pacific Islander people.
Local: A Memoir by Jessica Machado
Jessica Machado’s beautifully written memoir explores what it means to be a Hawai’i local, where the outsiders’ perception of Hawai’i is that it’s a paradise, while her home life is far from perfect. Trying to escape the stress of her family life, Machado moves to Los Angeles, which only complicates her issues further.
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita
This novel is probably based on the real, small town of Whittier, Alaska. In City Under One Roof, the setting of Point Mettier, Alaska, is only accessible by a tunnel, and all 205 of its inhabitants occupy the same high-rise building. Talk about being up in everyone’s business! Things get even closer for comfort when a teenager finds severed body parts washed up on shore, and a detective from Anchorage comes to investigate this locked-room mystery.
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
The protagonist of this novel is a talented piano player who’s forced to give up her dreams to provide for her parents after an accident. That takes her to working at a high-end beauty store in New York City. She becomes transfixed with the world of beauty and the store’s charismatic owner, but all that primping, plucking, and injecting reveals something ugly underneath.
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
Will Chen is a model Harvard student and the perfect son — but when a mysterious benefactor offers him a (very illegal) job taking back stolen works of Chinese art, he can’t say no. In this Ocean’s Eleven-style plot, Will assembles a team to pull off the heist. If they do it, they’ll get $50 million and a chance to make history. If they fail, they’ll lose everything. This book originally came out in 2022, but the paperback hit shelves last month.
Queen Bee by Amalie Howard
Bridgerton fans can get their regency romance fix with Amalie Howard’s latest novel. Lady Ela Dalvi has been seething ever since her so-called best friend betrayed her for the son of a duke and ruined her reputation. In the three years since Lady Ela has been toiling away in the English countryside while her ex-best friend climbs the social ranks. Ela devises a plan to get even and infiltrate high society herself — but in the process reconnects with her first love, which threatens her carefully laid plans.
The Do-Over by Suzanne Park
Lily Lee is a bestselling author who just got offered her dream job, but the background check process reveals a big snag: She never actually finished undergrad. So she’s headed back to college, where she discovers her ex-boyfriend is her new TA. This second-chance love story is told in the past and present day.
Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America by Julia Lee
The daughter of Korean immigrant store owners, Julia Lee’s upbringing in 1990s Los Angeles forced her to question her racial identity and her place in America following the 1992 riots. She ended up finding some answers by studying the works of Toni Morrison and James Baldwin, and explores how Asian-Americans can fight white supremacy.
When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley
This debut novel takes place in Seoul, where Min learns from police that his girlfriend Yu-jin has died by suicide — only he’s certain she would never do that. His investigation into her death leads him to explore his own biracial identity and confront the expectations of his family.
Paper Names by Susie Luo
Told from three different perspectives and over three decades, Susie Luo’s debut is inspired by her own family’s experiences. A Chinese immigrant, his daughter, and their white neighbor’s lives collide when an act of violence brings them together.
Oh My Mother!: A Memoir in Nine Adventures by Connie Wang
Oprah Daily calls Connie Wang’s memoir “hilarious, candid, and heartfelt,” likening it to a mix of Eat, Pray, Love and The Amazing Race. Journalist Wang explores her relationship with her mother via a series of out-of-the-ordinary anecdotes — like going to see a Magic Mike strip show in Vegas and trying edibles in Amsterdam.
The Sorrows of Others by Ada Zhang
Ada Zhang’s short story collection earned starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Forward, and was named a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35. The characters in her 10 stories are all outsiders in various ways: they’re immigrants, estranged from family members, or setting off in a new place.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (May 16)
The bestselling author of Babel came out with a new, darkly humorous novel in January. It’s about two aspiring literary stars, June and Athena. When June witnesses Athena’s death, she decides to steal her manuscript and pass it off as her own out of desperation — even though June is white and the manuscript very much deals with Athena’s Asian identity. With a heavy dose of humor, the novel tackles issues of representation, diversity, and appropriation, especially in publishing.
FLAWLESS: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital by Elise Hu (May 23)
NPR host-at-large and TED Talks Daily host Elise Hu takes us on a deep dive into K-Beauty, which has taken the world by storm in recent years. Through her reporting, Hu exposes the darker underbelly lurking beneath the sheet masks and cutely packaged creams.
