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5 Captivating Books by AAPI Authors to Add to Your TBR




Curated by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@ashley_dicksonellison)


This month, we’re highlighting a curated list of book reviews that celebrate the voices, stories, and brilliance of AAPI authors. From sweeping historical fiction to sharp contemporary memoir, cozy mysteries to YA royalty fantasies, this roundup features a range of genres and perspectives that illuminate both personal and cultural histories.


These reviews spotlight books we've loved—stories that have moved us, challenged us, and stayed with us. Whether you're looking to expand your reading list, diversify your bookshelf, or find your next favorite author, we hope you’ll discover something new and meaningful in this collection.



From the Review: "This beautiful historical fiction novel explores the situation in Jeju during World War II as Japanese occupation ended and American soldiers came to occupy the island. This book opens with the present time and shows Junja's moment of death as an older woman in America surrounded by her husband and two daughters. From there, we go back to the 1940s on Jeju island in Korea where young Junja is a haenyeo (a female diver) like her mother and grandmother. Early on in the story, Junja offers to take her mother's place to venture from their village up to the nearby mountain village to barter the abalone they caught for a pig. On that journey, she meets Suwol, who becomes an important part of the events that follow." Click the title above to see the full review.



From the review: "Tokyo Ever After centers on Izumi Tanaka, a Japanese American teenager living in Mount Shasta, a small town in northern California. Izumi, who goes by Izzy because it's "easier" for her mostly white community, struggles to find her place and is unsure about her identity and her future.


"But Izumi has a stellar group of friends, one of my favorite aspects of the series, and they have all sorts of adventures. One of her friends, in an effort to help Izumi find her way, starts digging into Izumi's paternal side of her family. For Izumi's whole life, it has only been her and her mom, and her mother had always refused to share anything at all about Izumi's father. But as her friend discovers through some sleuthing, Izumi's father is none other than the crown prince of Japan."



From the review: "I listened to Jen Sookfong Lee's Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart: A Memoir thanks to Libro.fm's ALC program. I'm so happy that I experienced this one via audio since the author reads it herself, communicating the tenderness, humor, and outrage she feels with great resonance. The book is a series of essays, meditations that weave together a particular pop-culture focus with the author's thoughts on different parts of her life." Click the title above to see the full review.



Min Jin Lee's Pachinko (Ashley's Review)

From the review: "Upon beginning this novel, I was immediately swept away by the tender, compelling story of the young Sunja, child of Hoonie and Yangjin, and their family's challenges as they worked to make their living by running a boarding house for people in the small village where they lived in Korea. When Sunja found herself in a position of dishonor and shame, I was moved by her resolution and her courage. As she makes the move to Japan, the story shifts into an exploration of Korean life in Japan. The epic novel moves through generations of Koreans in Japan, and Lee highlights the systemic oppression faced by Koreans in Japan, moving from the early 1900s all the way to present day." Click the title above to see the full review.



From the review: "After reading and absolutely loving Dial A for Aunties and Four Aunties and a Wedding, I was eager to read more by Jesse Q. Sutanto. I was thrilled when my library hold came in for Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, but I also had some trepidation as it seemed unlikely that it could hold up to the expectations I had based on the other series. However, I shouldn't have worried at all! This murder mystery novel is full of quirky, complicated, lovable characters, all of whom do some rash things in the face of hard circumstances." Click the title above to see the full review.


We also discussed this one as a book club pick on episode 276 - you can listen here!


We hope this collection introduces you to new authors, fresh perspectives, and unforgettable stories. If you’ve read any of these books—or plan to—we’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you’re looking for even more recommendations, stay tuned for future roundups highlighting diverse voices and powerful storytelling.


(A note to our readers: click on the hashtags above to see our other blog posts with the same hashtag.)


Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.


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