9 Books by Asian American Writers to Read Over the Holidays
edited and compiled by sydney ling
graphic by sydney ling
As finals have ended and winter break is starting, I find myself longing to escape the glowing claws of the Internet. There’s a veiled sense of isolation while always glued to the screen, impressed into our little Zoom boxes, the constant, never-ending scrolling. I crave to return to childhood days poured over novels, where my surroundings meshed into fantasy worlds.
And so I pulled out the list of Asian protagonist books I gathered a while ago but never got around to reading, and finally started placing holds at the library. If you’d like to grab a cup of hot chocolate and read along with me for the next two weeks, we’ve got you covered. I compiled a list of 9 of our team’s favourite books by Asian American authors. Whether you’re seeking an extravagant rom-com, moving memoir, or harrowing drama, you’re bound to find something to accompany you into the new year.
American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang
Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese follows the stories of three main characters — Jin Wang, the Monkey King, and Chin-Kee. Although at the surface they all seem to live different lives, Yang skillfully and seamlessly weaves their stories together by the end of the graphic novel. The youthful art style and humor brings to life a tale that explores the identity struggle that many Chinese and other Asian Americans can relate to.
- Sylvie Lam, staff photographer
Graphic Novel | First Second Books
The Namesake
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake beautifully weaves together narratives of the immigrant experience (first and second generation), exploring what it means to feel a sense of belonging and also estrangement through the lens of a diasporic South Asian family. Jhumpa Lahiri illustrates with such mastery the ways in which identities are in constant state of flux, unpacking how immigrants and their children grapple with assimilation and acculturation. As the daughter of South Asian immigrants, this novel felt endlessly fascinating, parts of it felt incredibly familiar and parts of it perplexed me; I’ve continued to revisit it over the years and discovered that my understanding of the story continues to evolve over time. I would recommend this novel because of Jhumpa Lahiri’s incredible storytelling ability; she often makes the banal so fascinating. Her insights exploring the triumphs and heartbreak of coming of age, while navigating life as a child of immigrants and formulating a sense of self, is really compelling.
- Nasrah Omar, staff photographer
Fiction | Houghton Mifflin
The Leavers
by Lisa Ko
The Leavers explores the relationship between a transracial Asian adoptee and his immigrant mother who disappears in his early adolescence. It’s a heartfelt, sincere story about family and belonging as an Asian American in a white world, and Lisa Ko captures a lot of realities of AsAm people that aren’t often explored in media. I think it’s a much needed piece of literature with compelling writing that’s perfect for any readers, Asian American or otherwise, that enjoy contemporary, character driven stories.
- Sebastian Snow, staff poet
Fiction | Algonquin Books
Soft Science
by Franny Choi
Soft Science is a poetry collection that explores queer, Asian American femininity and the intersection between human and machine. Franny Choi takes a unique sci-fi approach to explain emotion and humanity in this intense and stunning collection. When reading these poems, I found that there were some that went over my head, but I loved every poem I did understand. Franny Choi does an amazing job at choosing language that hits you hard and stays with you long after you’ve closed the book. Every poem is an experience, and I would recommend this collection for someone who is willing to take time and sit with what the author is saying (not a collection you should read in one sitting).
-Annie Wu, staff poet
Poetry | Alice James Books
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong’s first novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is written as a deeply moving and perceptive letter to his mother delving into their dynamic relationship. Vuong highlights the beauty in being a product of war while simultaneously expressing the intensity of violence. The novel examines language and deconstructs its purpose and power; “The truth is I’m worried they will get us before they get us.” Vuong reveals the limitations of language—his mother’s inability to read— while also utilizing language as a form of resistance through his poetic story of queer love. He breaks literary barriers and uproots conventional linguistic structure by using punctuation and formatting in new ways. Vuong shows not only the malleability of words and writing but also the extreme power they hold to shape the way we think and tell our story.
- Sorah Guthrie, staff videographer
Fiction | Penguin Group
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
by Cathy Park Hong
Minor Feelings is something so personal, encapsulating the width of the Asian American experience. Cathy Park Hong describes minor feelings as “the racialized range of emotions that are negative, dysphoric, and therefore untelegenic, built from the sediments of everyday racial experience and the irritant of having one’s perception of reality constantly questioned or dismissed.” Hong writes about her relationship to the English language, mental health, poetry, and female friendships. She utilizes her own anecdotes and references historical evidence, and refuses to write about race politely to make it palatable for a white audience. Hong explores the nuances of racial consciousness in America and explains how Asians can be the both the perpetrators and victims, not shy in delving in the model minority myth and the American dream. This is an essential read, uncovering unapologetic truths.
-Trish Le, staff poet
Nonfiction | Penguin Random House
Farewell to Manzanar
I read Farewell to Manzanar for 7th grade English. The book is a memoir of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston family’s experience at Manzanar Relocation Center, during the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. Wakatsuki Houston recalls how the internment camps deprived the spirits of her family, her culture, and herself. Once they were freed, it was as if there was still barbed wire between them and the rest of society, where racism replaced the barbed wire as a metaphorical barrier they had to face. The first half of the book is in the perspective of her as a child, and the second half is a reflection on the effects of the experience on the rest of her life. School history curriculums rarely cover the internment of Japanese Americans, and Farewell to Manzanar is a touching, straightforward read that uncovers the everyday experiences of the Japanese Americans within the camps.
-Sydney Ling, Editor-in-Chief
Nonfiction | Houghton Mifflin Company
Little Fires Everywhere
by Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere is the first of two Celeste Ng novels I have had the pleasure of reading. Both times, I was blessed by Ng’s gift to craft plotlines so detailed, so vivid, you forget that the tears streaming down your face are for fictional characters. Little Fires Everywhere is a vivid story about two small-town families whose lives quickly become intertwined. The novel is centered in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where Ng herself grew up, one of the first planned communities in the United States. Seemingly unproblematic and lighthearted initially, the book escalates quickly, with the heavy topics of motherhood, race, classism, culture, sex, and making your own story underlying every word. In the end, Little Fires Everywhere is nothing short of a fictional masterpiece. Ng’s ability to bring in politically charged topics avoided at dinner table conversation and in political debates in a digestible manner, leaves it difficult to argue that injustice in America is ever-present in our society.
- Sravya Balasa, staff photographer
(Note from Sydney: Little Fires Everywhere has a Hulu miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington that I absolutely recommend!)
Fiction | Penguin Group
Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan
You’ve probably seen the movie—rich, lavish, and complete with actors like Awkwafina and Constance Wu. But, have you read the book? The trilogy’s an exciting, entertainment of the rich Singaporean characters. However, it’s a subliminal commentary by Kevin Kwan about the excessive consumption of the upper-class. Their problems? Just like the third book: Rich People Problems. If you can’t live the life, read about the life with none of the Jeff Bezos guilt. It’s a lighthearted, comedic type of book that’s bound to put you in the right mood.
-Yoko Zhu, Managing Editor
Fiction | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
* this post has been edited per request with the removal of one recommendation