On this episode, author Tracey Lien joins the podcast to talk about her debut novel All That’s Left Unsaid, a thrilling mystery about a journalist who returns to her hometown of Cabramatta after her baby brother’s violent death in search for answers and to confront her past. Tracey shares about her inspirations for the novel, as well as about her journey to becoming a novelist.
On this episode, we discuss our August 2022 book club pick, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar, a story about 2 Bengali Irish teens who enter into, you guessed it, a fake relationship. Hani is doing i to prove to her very toxic friends that she is bi-sexual, and Ishu is doing it so Hani can help her become head girl. But what happens when the fake relationship starts becoming too real?
On this episode, we welcome author Sangu Mandanna to chat about her new novel The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, a cozy story about a lonely witch named Mika who finds herself in charge of educating three young witches in the English countryside. We chat with Sangu about her inspirations for this story of found family, generational trauma, and romance.
On this episode, we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our August 2022 mid-month check-in, including the big news that’s rocking the publishing industry right now.
New books and authors mentioned in our publishing news:
Worthy: The Brave and Capable Life of Joseph Pierce by Andrea Wang; illus by Youa Vang
The Art Spy: The Untold Story of World War II Resistance Spy Rose Valland by Michelle Young
Haru, Zombie Dog Hero by Ellen Oh
Family of Friends by Varsha Bajaj; illus by Ishaa Lobo
Temporary Bodies by Anuradha D. Rajurkar
Yasmeen Lari biography by Marzieh Abbas; illus by Hoda Hadadi
Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu
The Runaway Dosa by Suma Subramaniam; illus by Parvati Pillai
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen; illus by Robert Sae-Heng
The Carpet and Sour Cherries by Dezh Azaad; illus by Nan Cao
Call Me Adnan by Reem Faruqi
Play the Game by Amar Shah
Chickenpox by Remy Lai
In This Family by Shelly Anand; illus by Meenal Patel
When a Rhino Has to WAIT by Dazzle Ng; illus by Estrela Lourenço
And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong
Camp Scream by Sarah C. Yung; illus by Kelsey Eng and Laan Cham
Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo
Michelle the First: How Action Hero Michelle Yeoh Danced, Acted, and Dreamed Her Own Path by Kristen Mai Giang; illus by Kuri Huang
Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna
Wings to Soar by Tina Athaide
Navya Sings for Navarathri by Lakshmi Thamizhmani; illus by Avani Dwivedi
A Name for Sister by Charlotte Cheng; illus by Sophie Diao
From Ma-Yi Theater Company (The Chinese Lady, Teenage Dick) comes a generation-spanning new journey through the historical and fantastical. Mixing traditional Korean fables with the horrors of the Korean War, Daniel K. Isaac’s epic new play is a funny and deeply moving analog for the experiences of the Korean American diaspora. Isaac deftly moves his characters through time, tracing the legacies of trauma that are passed from one generation to the next, and the various coping mechanisms each one uses to soldier on.
Playing August 23 – September 18 at the La Mama’s Ellen Stewart Theater in New York City
Tickets on sale now at: http://ma-yitheatre.org/ – use promo code BOOKSANDBOBA for discounted tickets.
Author Emiko Jean returns to the podcast to talk about her latest novel, MIKA IN REAL LIFE, a story about directionless 30-something Mika, and what happens when she gets contacted by the daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. We chat with Emiko about her inspirations for the novel, as well as catch up with what she’s been up to over the past year.
On this episode, we discuss our July 2022 pick is Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a japanese novel about a Tokyo cafe where you can order a coffee that lets you go back in time, but only until your coffee gets cold. Join us as we discuss the book’s four stories about confronting regret and grief through time travel, as well as our thoughts on how the book portrays its female characters.
Books & Boba 