On this episode, author Joseph Han joins us to chat about his debut novel Nuclear Family, a story about a Korean American family that runs a plate lunch diner in Hawaii, and the ghosts that haunt them all the way from the Korean DMZ. We discuss his inspirations behind writing Nuclear Family, his thoughts on the ghosts that haunt a diaspora, and what Guy Fieri’s quest to reach Flavortown has to do with it all.

Follow Joseph on twitter at @hanjoseph and check out his debut novel Nuclear Familyon sale now!

On this episode, we discuss our May 2022 pick is Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li, a story about 5 Chinese American college students who form a heist crew to steal back stolen Chinese art from western museums. We discuss the book’s themes of diaspora and reclaiming culture, as well as dive into how heisty this heist book turned out to be. 

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On this episode, we chat with another member of the infamous “kimchingoos,” this time with author Grace K. Shim about her debut novel, The Noh Family, a story about a Korean American girl who discovers through a DNA test that her father was a member of one of the richest families in Korea. We chat with Grace about her real life and k-drama inspirations for the story, as well as her personal journey as an author.

Follow Grace on IG at @gkshimwrites and check out her debut novel The Noh Family on sale now!

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On this episode, we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our May 2022 mid-month check-in! 

New books and authors mentioned in our publishing news:

• Ila Nguyen-Hayama – Benten School of Esoterics
• Lyla Lee – Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd
• Thea Guanzon – Hurricane Wars
• Gail D. Villanueva – Lulu Sinagtala and The Tagalog Gods
• Melissa de la Cruz – The Headmaster’s List
• MariNaomi (writer) and Trung Le Nguyen (illustrator) – They
• Adib Khorram (writer) and Michelle Tran (illustrator) – Bijan Always Wins
• Swati Teerdhala – The Boyfriend Wish
• Joanna Ho (writer) and Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (illustrator) – We Who Produce Pearls
• Meera Sriram (writer) and Sandhya Prabhat (illustrator) – The Spice Box
• Minh Lê and Dan Santat – Built to Last
• Tina Athaide (writer) and Archana Sreenivasan (illustrator) – Sunshine in the Monsoons
• Joowon Oh – Lucky Dogs
• Christina Matula and Erica Lyons (writers); Tracy Subisak (illustrator) – Mixed-Up Mooncakes

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On this episode, we welcome author Vanessa Hua back to the podcast to chat about her newest book Forbidden City, a historical fiction novel about a young woman who becomes a confidant of Chairman Mao during the Cultural Revolution. We catch up with Vanessa about what she’s been up to since we last chatted, and learn more about how and why she decided to write a story about one of the most turbulent times in modern Chinese history. 

Follow Vanessa on twitter at @vanessa_hua and check out her new book Forbidden City on sale May 10, 2022!

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On this episode, we discuss our April 2022 pick is A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen, a rom-com about Liza Yang, a high school senior who loves to bake but her mother would rather set her up on blind dates with acceptable Chinese boys. After she finally convinces her mother to let her participate in the family’s annual baking competition as a judge, she finds that her mother has filled the competition with potential suitors, with her as a prize! Join us as we discuss this Asian American re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice, with a delicious twist.

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