22 Books to Read for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

by Donna Huber

We've highlighted a few books for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, but in case you missed them, trying to fit one more in before the end of May, or still trying to decide what to read for the Heritage Reads bookmark, here are our recommendations. We've narrowed the Goodreads list of 189 down to 22. There is a good mix of genres on our list - fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, young adult, romance, nonfiction, etc. MK reviewed most of the books in this selection but Susan and I lent a few titles to the list as well. Happy reading!

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Mỹ Documents by Kevin Nguyen

The paths of four family members diverge drastically when the U.S. government begins detaining Vietnamese Americans, in this sharp and touching novel about growing up at the intersection of ambition and assimilation. (Goodreads)

"I hope that this book inspires conversations about people of different cultures, ethics, and how best to cross the divides between us." Read MK's full review.

Buy Mỹ Documents at Amazon

The Family Recipe by Carolyn Huynh

From the author of the Good Morning America Book Club Pick The Fortunes of Jaded Women, a stunning family dramedy about estranged siblings competing to inherit their father’s Vietnamese sandwich franchise and unravel family mysteries. (Goodreads)

"I felt just as invested as the Tran children in seeing if they would make it, if they could build lives and forge a path forward as a family again." Read MK's review.

Buy The Family Recipe at Amazon

Bat Eater and Other Names For Cora Zeng by Kylie Baker

Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, washing away the remains of brutal murders and suicides in Chinatown. The bloody messes don't bother her, not when she's already witnessed the most horrific thing possible: her sister being pushed in front of a train. (Goodreads)

"My heart went out to Cora in the beginning." Read MK's review.

Buy Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng at Amazon

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel. (Goodreads)

"I love the dreamy logic within this story." Reads MK's review.

Buy Water Moon at Amazon

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li

Mexican Gothic meets Everything I Never Told You in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it. (Goodreads)

"I was unable to put this book down, and had to finish it right away." Read MK's review.

Buy The Manor of Dreams at Amazon

Time Loops and Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau

The “masterful, inspiring, and full of heart” (Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author) Jackie Lau returns with a thoroughly unique love story about a woman reliving the same Friday over and over again—and the intriguing man who can’t quite remember her. (Goodreads)

"It's a fun romance with some serious emotions and concerns woven into the story." Read MK's review.

Buy Time Looks and Meet Cutes at Amazon

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown

Maya knows that her sister isn't the first person in the society to turn up dead. Now every clue is leading Maya back to the past . . . and to the secret she's been keeping all these years. (Goodreads)

"If you want to be haunted by a suspense thriller, this is a good one for summer." Read MK's review.

Buy Society of Lies at Amazon

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic historical fantasy about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds.

Her beauty hides a deadly purpose. (Goodreads)

"The book is hauntingly beautiful and worth reading." Read MK's review.

Buy A Song to Drown Rivers at Amazon

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking ... (Goodreads)

" I adore this book and how its story was told." Read MK's review.

Buy The Fox Wife at Amazon

In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander

A delightful Caribbean-set romp about an ambitious designer of apocalyptic video games with a strategy for (almost) everything who discovers what happens when her best-laid plans go off course. (Goodreads)

"A cute fluffy story with two interesting main characters." Read Susan's review.

Buy In a Not So Perfect World at Amazon

City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim

A once-famous ballerina faces a final choice—to return to the world of Russian dance that nearly broke her, or to walk away forever—in this incandescent novel of redemption and love. (Goodreads)

"If you enjoy the world of ballet and want to read a behind-the-scenes look at the training and the pain, the politics that can make or break a ballerina, and the highs and lows of a life spent trying to achieve fame, this is a book that you don't want to miss." Read Susan's review.

Buy City of Night Birds at Amazon

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?” (Goodreads)

"Very lyrical and beautifully written, with side characters that also enhance the drama in each lifetime." Read MK's review.

Buy The Emperor and the Endless Palace at Amazon

Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

In the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series translated from Japanese, the mysterious café where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time welcomes four new guests. (Goodreads)

"If you are looking for stories that will warm your heart and maybe make you think about life a little differently, then you should get this book." Read my review.

Buy Before We Forget Kindness at Amazon

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

Discover this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats in the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation. (Goodreads)

"If you are an animal lover who knows the healing powers of the animal-human bond, then this is a pick you don't want to miss this book." Read my review.

Buy We'll Prescribe You a Cat at Amazon

The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song

Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves. (Goodreads)

"It was an enthralling read from start to finish." Read MK's review.

Buy The Ends with Fire at Amazon

Daughter of Shandong by Eve J. Chung

A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story. (Goodreads)

"I loved the history and glimpse into the sociopolitical culture of not only rural China, but urban China, British Hong Kong, and Taiwan." Read my review.

Buy Daughter of Shandong at Amazon

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

The only thing harder than finding someone in a time loop is losing them. (Goodreads)

"I devoured the book and enjoyed every page." Read MK's review.

Buy A Quantum Love Story at Amazon

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world. (Goodreads)

"Backyard Bird Chronicles is reminiscent of Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac." Read my review.

Buy The Backyard Bird Chronicles at Amazon

The Floating World by Axie Oh

From Axie Oh, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in this romantic fantasy reimagining the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens. (Goodreads)

"It's a compelling read, and I'm already eager for the second half of the story." Read MK's review.

Buy The Floating World at Amazon

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee

The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee! (Goodreads)

"The world-building for Longhan is subtle and gradually introduced." Read MK's review.

Buy Breath of the Dragon at Amazon

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl comes a YA murder mystery noir set in 1930s Los Angeles’s Chinatown. (Goodreads)

"I enjoyed the red herrings placed along the way, the details about Chinatown of the period, and the way the sisters bonded through the search." Read MK's review.

Buy Kill Her Twice at Amazon

A Bánh Mì For Two by Trinity Nguyen 

In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families' histories—and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn. (Goodreads)

"The ending was so heartfelt and had such emotions it brought tears to my eyes." Read MK's review.

Buy A Bánh Mì For Two at Amazon

What are/did you read for the Heritage Bookmark at Goodreads?

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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